Around the world, many children do not run as far or as fast as their parents did when they were kids, according to a large study presented at a scientific meeting in the US recently.
The study concludes that today's kids are about 15% less aerobically fit than their parents were at their age.
And in the US, kids' cardiovascular endurance has fallen by around 6% per decade between 1970 and 2000.
The researchers warn that such a decline in fitness may mean worse health in adulthood.
Lead author Dr. Grant Tomkinson of the University of South Australia's School of Health Sciences, who presented the findings at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013 in Dallas, TX, says:
If a young person is generally unfit now, then they are more likely to develop conditions like heart disease later in life."
Cardiovascular fitness not same as strength, flexibility or skill
Dr. Tomkinson says while there are many ways that young people can be fit, like developing strength by lifting weights, being flexible like a gymnast or being skilled at tennis, this is not the same as having cardiovascular fitness, which is what most relates to health, as he explains:
"The most important type of fitness for good health is cardiovascular fitness, which is the ability to exercise vigorously for a long time, like running multiple laps around an oval track."
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