Parents please make your teenagers read this.
Teenagers who don’t get enough exercise are more at risk at getting brittle bones when they are older. A study compiled by an international team of experts including an expert from Exeter University in the UK has found that adolescents who spend long periods of time in sedentary activities such watching television and playing computer games are more likely to have low bone mineral content in certain parts of the body, indicating possible osteoporosis in the future.
Studying put girls at more risk, while for boys internet and computer use posed the greatest threat. Scientists found that participating in at least three hours of certain sports could significantly reduce the threat in girls and boys. The study found evidence of the benefits of 3 hours a week of high-intensity sports where the participant is on their feet, such as football, basketball, netball or running. Cricket, chess and shooting don’t count unless there is good fitness routine to go along with it.
Osteoporosis in older adults has been studied numerous times but this is the first of a kind study analysing the effects of different sedentary behaviours on bone health in the critical development period of adolescence.
Dr Luis Gracia Marco of the University of Exeter, who led the research, said: “Clearly we are not telling girls not to study. It is a fact of modern life that teenagers spend more time engaged in deskbound or sitting activities, but our research is one of the first to identify a connection between this behaviour in adolescents and low levels of bone mass in key regions of the body. It is already well-known that an inactive lifestyle has implications for young people, such as obesity and heart diseases. Combined with that, our findings emphasise the need for exercise, and we hope it will give some focus for young people and their parents to ward off any health problems later in life.”
The research assessed the lifestyles of 359 Spanish adolescents and examined bone mineral content in the femoral neck region of the hip, which is a critical area for diagnosing osteoporosis.
Source: The above story is provided by University of Exeter
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