Getting our kids fit again is vital – and it’s easy to do

REGULAR physical activity, once a necessary part of life, has quickly given way to a sedentary lifestyle and low levels of fitness. This is especially evident among young boys and girls.

As part of the Irish Life Health Schools Fitness Challenge, we have assessed the fitness levels of almost 175,000 students between the ages of 12 and 16 over the past seven years. The data don’t lie, and the story is not a good one.

We found that among 16-year-old boys, four out of every 10 do not meet the minimum level of fitness needed for optimal heart health. Among 16-year-old girls, a little over a third are below the minimum level. We also saw a steady decline in fitness levels between the ages of 12 and 16. The number of boys with the minimum fitness level for optimal heart health drops from 81pc to 59pc during this period, and for girls, it drops from 92pc to 66pc.

So what does this actually mean? The stark truth is that these young people are being set up for a life of poor health and, for some, even premature death. A low level of fitness is known to increase the risk of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and type two diabetes, as well as a host of other non-communicable diseases that affect quality of life.

The good news is that young people can significantly increase their fitness in a short period. We studied the data from the challenge to see what fitness improvement could be made. The challenge requires secondary school students to participate in a six-week fitness programme, and to track improvements in fitness. The results showed fitness levels improved by an average of 8-10pc within this short time. Importantly, we saw that many low fitness kids improved much more than the 8-10pc average.

While we have seen positive steps recently such as the inclusion of physical education on the Leaving Cert curriculum, I would be concerned that active boys and girls who play and enjoy sport – those who are already fit – would make up the majority of students in the class. It is the low fitness boys and girls who need most assistance and support to improve their physical activity and fitness levels. The good news is that they will see larger-than-average improvements in their fitness levels if they engage in the Schools Fitness Challenge.

You don’t need to join a gym or start team sports if that isn’t your thing. Walking, running, cycling, swimming – anything that gets you moving – is good for the body and mind. Teenagers are under pressure to juggle schoolwork, exams, friendships and part-time jobs, but it’s essential they learn to include physical activity as a vital part of the daily mix.

Professor Niall Moyna from the Centre for Preventive Medicine, Dublin City University, is creator of the Irish Life Health Schools Fitness Challenge