Kids’ Fitness and Adult Health and Happiness

Do you have a desire to put more emphasis on kids’ fitness? It’s not only a good business niche, it’s an excellent service that helps ensure that more kids become adults who choose an active lifestyle and become fitness enthusiasts later in life.

A research review of 574 studies of physical activity behavior patterns over a lifetime shows that, for many people, an inactive lifestyle begins as early as 7–10 years old. While most of the studies showed that inactive individuals tended to remain inactive, a few studies found subgroups of adults and older adults who increased their activity levels. It appears that being physically active in childhood and adolescence may be of high importance since it can postpone inactivity later in life.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, less than one-quarter (24%) of children 6 to 17 years of age participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day. In 2017, only 26.1% of high school students participated in at least one hour per day of exercise on all 7 days of the previous week.

Fitness professionals have an important role to play in addressing this issue. And there is much more information to explore, which is one reason why it’s vital to stay up to date with continuing education credits.

Kids Need to Move

When children don’t move enough, they are set up for:

• an energy imbalance and the risk of becoming overweight or obese;
• a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance;
• a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes;
• a higher risk of developing breast, colon, endometrial and lung cancer;
• low bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis later in life.

Personal trainers and group fitness instructors understand that childhood is a prime time to develop motor skills and healthy habits through creative and motivational education and programming. IDEA provides an inspirational launching pad for successful fitness careers.

That is what the “plus” stands for in our reimagined membership—it represents all that you do to Inspire the World to Fitness®.

As a member, you have access to vast content and resources, and we’ve featured a small fraction of our library below. If you’re not a member, you can still access this education and get a feel for our community.