Inactive teens develop lazy bones that can break easily
- Researchers assessed the bone strength of teenagers with various activity levels
- In the study, they discovered those who exercised less had much weaker bones
- Children who are sitting around aren’t helping their bone strength, experts say
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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Encouraging children to get up and exercise isn’t as simple as it used to be.
But new research proves that there is a real need for them to get off of their mobile phones and venture outside – and it’s not just to prevent obesity.
Teenagers are more likely to suffer regular bone fractures and breaks if they don’t stay active, scientists claim.
A Canadian study found that those who avoided the recommended daily activity had much weaker bones than their peers.
Teenagers are more likely to suffer regular bone fractures if they don’t stay active, experts say
Leigh Gabel, of the University of British Columbia, said: ‘We found that teens who are less active had weaker bones, and bone strength is critical for preventing fractures.
‘Kids who are sitting around are not loading their bones in ways that promote bone strength.’
The researchers measured the physical activity and bone strength of 309 teenagers at a critical time in their development.
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Boys were monitored between the ages of 12 and 16, while the four year window for girls started when they turned 10.
This time of their life is considered vital, as 36 per cent of the human skeleton is formed in this four year period.
They used high resolution 3D X-ray images to compare differences between youths who exercised, and those who didn’t.
A Canadian study found that children who avoided the recommended daily activity had much weaker bones than their peers (stock)
Children who met the daily recommendation of 60 minutes of moderate physical activity a day were put against those who got less than half-an-hour.
While boys had larger and stronger bones throughout the study, both sexes responded in the same way to physical activity.
GO TO THE GYM FOR YOUR CHILD’S SAKE
We know children take social cues from their parents – words, beliefs, and even tone of voice.
But health experts in January warned few parents understand how much their exercise habits influence the younger generation.
Following more than 1,000 families with activity trackers, US government researchers found children would engage in more exercise if their parents did too.
With every extra minute of movement on the parent’s activity tracker, there was almost always an immediate spike in the child’s activity tracker.
Bone strength is a combination of bone size, density and microarchitecture, the researchers wrote in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
Weaker bones are known to increase the risk of osteoporosis, a condition that affects three million adults in Britain.
Professor Heather McKay, who was involved in the research, said: ‘It’s important for children and youth to step away from their screens, get up from the sofa and move.’
This comes after Spanish researchers found children who get less than an hour of exercise each day could be heading for heart disease in the future.
A study in 2013 showed that those under the age of ten need at least that much exercise every day to keep hearts healthy.
And in January, Norwegian researchers found children who take part in physical activity also have a better chance of being mentally healthy.
Youngsters who regularly exercise are less likely to develop mood disorders as adults, the scientists found.
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