Active Kids Have Fewer Sick Days

The time spent in sports keeps kids from getting sick - and it melts the fat, all of which improves children's health, new study shows.
This is another reason that kids away from computers and TV, and send them outside for exercise.
Habitual physical activity more than three hours a day gives children the best defense against infections such as colds and flu, says researcher Thomas J. Cieslak, with Brock University in Ontario, Canada. His study appears in the current Journal of Applied Physiology.
Exercise has a positive effect on the immune system, the body's defense against infection, says Cieslak.

Research shows that moderate exercise and physical activity to improve immunity and reduce the rate of upper respiratory infections such as colds. . Moreover, stress and obesity suppressing the immune system - even though studies have mainly looked at it in adults, he explains.
"It has long been suspected that the younger people, less effective immune defense, " says Cieslak. However, the child's immune system is still developing until the age of 9 to 11, "he says. Also, studies of children's health and immunity are not taken into account diet, climate, and live in densely populated areas.

Effects of the child's level of physical activity are also studied. However, one recent study found that teens who spend less time in sports activities have more colds and flu, says Cieslak.
Canadian fifth graders Tell the Tale
In this study, Cieslak watching his immunity, physical fitness levels, stress levels and body fat in a group of fifth-graders - all 10 and 11 years - while they were in school, from May to June. It is a moderate to high infection season in Canada.
Researchers found that 22% of boys reported getting less than three hours of physical activity daily, compared with 32% of girls.

Also, children's health is affected by:

· Children less than three hours a day significantly reduced the immune system, the more fat tissue, and reported more sick leave of more fit and active children.

° 40% of those less-active children had more than 25% body fat, they also reported more colds and flu than other children

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mirror the results found in studies of young people and adults - to less activity increases susceptibility to infection. "The results of this study suggest that the same may be true in children, " says Cieslak.

child immune complexes

However, because the child's immune system is complex, and other factors such as time of day or year - or whether they are in school or not - can also affect their immune system, "he says. Winter or colder temperatures may reduce the immunity of the child.

In fact, physical activity can play a larger role than the stress in the child's immunity. Other studies show different effects of exercise and stress on the immune system, he explains.

However, the study shows that children who spend more time in sports and other high-aerobic activities report fewer sick days, "he says. And obese children are much more sick. Parents who want to improve the health of children must get them involved in regular physical activity.

- Dr.H.S.Mohan