Children and exercise

Abstract

Background: Exercise is widely understood to improve health outcomes in children and adolescents and to contribute to the prevention and management of many chronic conditions. Australian children are not currently meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines, and these habits are likely to extend into adulthood without intervention.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to provide general practitioners (GPs) with the tools to perform a basic exercise assessment with children and adolescents and an understanding of the core principles of exercise prescription for general and special paediatric populations.

Discussion: GPs are limited by time often precluding the assessment of exercise levels in children and adolescents unless it is immediately relevant to their presentation. This article discusses simple methods of assessing physical activity, the importance of appropriately prescribed exercise and its benefits for physical, psychological and social health and wellbeing.