From: Click Green staff
Published February 7, 2015 08:42 AM
Children benefit from getting outdoors
The health benefits of active outdoor pursuits over sedentary indoor
pastimes are well known and increasingly highlighted in the battle
against childhood obesity and its long-term consequences.
People of all ages extol the virtues of getting some fresh air,
particularly for a generation of children in which, according to a
Mothercare survey last year, more than a quarter play outside for less
than half an hour a week.
But the positive impact of time spent outdoors, in a natural
environment, goes far beyond the most obvious results.
A recent study revealed that children who are exposed to scenes of
nature while exercising are more likely to experience health-enhancing
effects after activity.
Sports science academics at the University of Coventry asked kids aged
9-10 years to complete a series of 15-minute moderate-intensity cycling
activities – one whilst viewing a video of a forest track synced to the
exercise bike and another with no visual stimulus.
The researchers found that after the 'green exercise' the children's
post-activity blood pressure was significantly lower than it was without
the simulated forest environment, indicating that the nature scenes
promoted positive health effects.
Children running outdoors image via Shutterstock.
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