Authors: Natasha Triplett
Stockbyte/Thinkstock(NEW YORK, N.Y.)-- A study published in the July issue of Pediatrics from 2004 to 2009 in Australia has found that teens who participate in more moderate-to-vigorous outdoor activities are more healthier and sociable than their peers who watch television and surf the net instead according to HealthDay News.
The research, done at the University of Sydney, found that youths who spent about 2 and a half hours playing sports or participating in high intensive activities had the highest percentage of health. In addition, according to the researcher’s findings youth spent around 3.3 hours a day playing video games, watching television, and 2.1 hours in physical activity.
According to Bamini Gopinath, a senior research fellow at the University's Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research. stated that "Parents should be conscious of the fact that outdoor physical activity is beneficial to their child's overall health and well-being, and should try to limit the time their child spends in front of the screen”.
Approximately 1,216 teens were asked on the questionnaire how much time they spent on outdoor exercise compared to sedentary activities. In addition, the teens were asked how much time they spent on computers, television and reading. Students were questioned beginning at age 12 and again at age 17. The findings suggest that the teens who were more active had higher social functioning skills as opposed to teens who did not exercise.
According to Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children's Hospital, "It makes sense that these kids who are getting outside, playing sports and running around are going to feel better than those kids who are sitting alone with a screen.” Rich also said that teens who also get to go "running around in the fresh air" and playing sports are going to be "not only physically healthier, but socially healthier because they're learning to work things through with other teens," he said.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
