Don’t let children be too still

In the 1948 film “Sitting Pretty,” the snide, know-it-all babysitter Belvedere (Clifton Webb) quickly wins over three previously untamable, rambunctious children of Harry (Robert Young) and Tacey (Maureen O’Hara) King.

Not many kids these days are called rambunctious, and that’s too bad. Instead, kids are sitting around, staring at their smartphones or computers — and that can lead to big-time depression and long-term behavioral health issues. One study found that 8to 18-year-olds spend an average of seven hours a day looking at one kind of screen or another!

A recent study from University College London published in Lancet Psychiatry found that inactive, screen-bound kids had a higher chance of developing depressive symptoms at age 18 and beyond, compared with kids who were more active. The researchers say even 150 minutes of activity weekly makes a difference in kids’ moods.

We know that sedentary behavior early on can lead to physical impairments (obesity, heart disease, etc.), but this study underlines the mental health repercussions of not getting enough exercise when you’re young.

So to boost both your child’s mental and physical health, help him/her get a mixture of moderate and vigorous exercise for an hour a day, seven days a week.

How to accomplish this? A study in the journal Human Movement found that a sports activity — whether it’s on a team or individual, or played indoors or outside — protects against depression. Plus, in our families, we believe one important secret to raising happier kids is rambunctious parents.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare. com.