Most teens often skip the 60 minutes of daily workout as advised by the U.S. health experts. A recent survey by the National Center for Health Statistics, an arm of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals that one in four U.S. teens exercises for 60 minutes every day.
The researchers have primarily based their findings on the data collected from two previous surveys, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the National Youth Fitness Survey, 2012.
The survey found that only 27 percent of the boys and 22.5 percent of the girls were following the recommended exercise routines. The survey results published in the January issue of NCHS Data Brief also states that 8 percent of the teens were not found to be involved in any exercise routine.
The only positive aspect of the findings is that 69 percent of the boys and 49 percent of the girls surveyed admitted to exercising for an hour at least five days or more in a week.
Boys indulged in physical actives like playing basketball, football, running, bike riding and walking. The girls reported running, walking, playing basket ball, dancing and bike riding as part of their active routine.
According to the researchers, the results are not that dissatisfactory but as Tala Fakhouri, the lead author of the study says, ""This is not enough. I think we can do better," reports medical express.
The study clearly shows the negligence in maintaining a healthy life style in teenagers that can add to the increasing burden of obesity in the U.S. In fact, the survey states that obese youths are less active than the normal weighing teens. The signs are more prominent in obese girls compared to boys.
"It's definitely very concerning to see that our kids are engaging in such a limited amount of physical activity each day when we are still battling" an obesity epidemic, said Dr. Stephen Pont, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' section on obesity, reports foxnews.
A 2012 CDC report shows that 29 percent of high school students maintain a workout schedule. An earlier 2009 CDC report revealed that nearly 70 percent of children between 6 and 11 met the physical activity guidelines.
The study finds parents play a pivotal role in shaping exercising habits in children, which continuesin the teens."The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids get their heart rate up 60 minutes a day. And as we all know, for working parents, busy parents, it's hard to find the time. So therefore, it really requires parents to be thinking about it proactively, about how to get my kid moving," said Dr. Bradshaw, a pediatrician, reports Kval. The schools are also required to actively participate by not reducing the recess timings and encouraging students to play more sports.
