Three Questions with Susan Babey on Physical Activity

Susan H. Babey is co-director of the Center’s Chronic Disease Program and lead author of new studies on child/teen physical activity and adult walking. In this brief interview, Babey discusses why many children are sedentary, why adults should put in even more steps walking, and other benefits of physical activity. 
 

Q: Your study found that only 1 in 3 kids and 1 in 5 teens get the recommended hour a day of physical exercise. What factors influence their avoidance of sweat? 

A lot of factors influence how much physical activity kids get. Many kids live in neighborhoods without sidewalks and without access to safe parks or bicycle trails and paths near their homes. Our study found that kids who lived near parks got more exercise. Concerns about safety can be a barrier to physical activity. We found that 15 percent of children and adolescents live in neighborhoods that they or their parents consider unsafe. Those children and adolescents were less physically active. 

In addition, between school, homework, and other activities, kids have a lot competing for their time. Video games, TV, phones and other technology offer a tempting diversion ― one that can encourage significant amounts of sedentary behavior during kids’ free time if parents don’t set limits.  
 

Q: In comparison, the adult recommendation for walking is just 150 minutes a week. Are we letting adults off too easily? 

Physical activity guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week. Walking is the most common form of physical activity among adults and it is one that many adults are able to maintain throughout their life. The recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate activity is associated with substantial health benefits including lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and colon and breast cancer as well as helping to prevent weight gain. 

However, the guidelines also emphasize that even greater health benefits are associated with 300 minutes of physical activity per week, and this amount is more in line with the recommendations for kids. Our study found that only one-third of California adults meet the physical activity recommendations by walking for at least 150 minutes per week. However, our data only included information about walking (not other kinds of physical activity). More of the adults in our study would have met recommendations if other types of activity were included. Nationally, about half of adults meet physical activity guidelines. 
 

Q: Are there other reasons beyond being physically fit to pull ourselves away from sedentary activities like binge-watching TV shows and exercise instead? 

Physical activity has a lot of benefits beyond improved physical fitness for both kids and adults. In addition to physical health benefits, more physical activity is linked to improved cognitive function and sleep quality as well as reduced risk for depression and dementia for adults. For kids, more physical activity is linked with increased mental alertness and higher academic achievement, as well as lower levels of stress and depression.