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Only 1 in 30 children do recommended amount of daily exercise. According to a recent study published in Journal of Physical Activity and Health, children in the age group of 5 to 18 should do an hour of exercise every day and the intensity should be between moderate to vigorous.
Studies found that activity level among girls is every lower-- only 1.2 per cent girls achieve the daily target as compared to 5.5 per cent boys.
Doctors feel that lack of exercise may have a long-term consequence on children's health. "With obesity increasing as an epidemic, there is a need for children to exercise or get involved in some or the other form of physical activity," says Dr Manisha Gupta, a Chandigarh-based general physician.
"We see a lot of patients with high blood pressure and diabetes in their twenties. People who get such chronic diseases in their twenties are at a higher risk of developing associated health problems in their 40s. So, parents should encourage their children to indulge in physical activities from the beginning", she says.