Two in three girls give up on exercise by the age of NINE
- It is well known that teenage girls become much less active than boys
- But researchers have found that the gender gap opens much earlier
- By nine only half the number of girls as boys manage an hour of exercise
Victoria Allen Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail
25
View
comments
Girls are turning their backs on exercise before the age of nine, with almost two-thirds failing to be active for one hour a day.
It is well known that teenage girls become much less active than boys, as they become more self-conscious about their appearance.
But researchers at the University of Bristol have found the gender gap opens much earlier – in the first years of primary school.
It is well known that teenage girls become much less active than boys, as they become more self-conscious about their appearance
By the age of eight or nine, in Year 4, only about half the number of girls as boys manage an hour of physical activity a day.
In just three years from the age of five or six, they increase their time spent sitting and not moving by 23 per cent. Lead author Russ Jago, professor of paediatric physical activity and public health at the University of Bristol, said: ‘Girls become less confident in primary school as they get older.
‘They see the boys becoming very active, and tending to be very good at football and rugby, and often the girls slightly pull back and feel less able to be as active.
‘We really need to find ways to boost girls’ confidence in physical activity and build up their skill levels. If they can’t catch a ball, for example, they are more likely to withdraw from physical activity.
-
Why ‘breathing better’ is the cure for hypertension 
Mother-of-three, 44, develops deadly infection and nearly… -
Demi Lovato under fire for promoting weight loss tea…
‘We also need to make it more about enjoyment with their friends than about competition.’
The researchers tracked the activity levels of 1,300 children aged five to six, in their first year of primary school, over a week.
The same children were revisited three years later with an accelerometer, a smart device which detects movement, to compare how much more sedentary they had become. By Year 4, the researchers found 65 per cent of girls were failing to meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended physical activity guidelines of an hour of physical activity per day.
But researchers at the University of Bristol have found the gender gap opens much earlier – in the first years of primary school
Some 37.7 per cent of boys failed to meet the guidelines.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation and published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, found sedentary time rose by 20 per cent for boys, but 23 per cent for girls, in three years.
Researchers say schools should look at Zumba classes or playground tag during the day to encourage girls to do more exercise. But the rates include evenings and weekends, which means parents also need to take responsibility.
Professor Jago said: ‘The results show a clear need to find ways to help children to be active throughout the primary school years.
‘We need to get children active and then keep them active as they move through primary school.
‘To help us do this, we need to find the activities that children enjoy and foster as many opportunities in and outside school.’
Share or comment on this article
-
PIERS MORGAN: The week Kim hit rock bottom and finally… -
Tracked on CCTV by the Met and MI5’s state-of-the-art… -
Heavily armed anti-terror police shoot a woman in her 20s… -
Sgt Blackman will be a free man TONIGHT: Marine A will… -
Jeweller, 27, who stabbed her abusive boyfriend three… -
Moment police van BLOCKS queue-jumping driver who tries… -
‘I don’t give a f*** who you are. I’ve got a job to do’:… -
Just call me Miss Marple: Hairdresser, 56, wins driving… -
Madeleine McCann could be found by FACEBOOK: Facial… -
‘Explosion’ rocks McDonald’s in France, prompting police… -
Will the man mountain boxer who lives with his mum be… -
‘I saw him drop my daughter with the rope and I couldn’t… -
North Korea obliterates US Capitol and puts the White… -
It can go round the world without surfacing, hit targets… -
Could this be the answer to Britain’s housing crisis?… -
Boyfriend, 18, who stamped on his girlfriend’s head and… -
Teenager is crowned as having Britain’s most disgusting… -
United Airlines reaches settlement with Dr. David Dao for…
Comments 25
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual
We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.
You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.