3 Let’s Get Fit: The Positive Influence of Physical Activity

This chapter is based on the Social Ecological Model.

Physical activity is any body movement that requires energy expenditure (Caspersen et al., 1985). Most people engage in common forms of physical activity such as organized, household, leisure, or occupational physical activity. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2024) currently recommends that children and adolescents (age 6-17) engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity three times a week. Examples of moderate physical activity are exercises that cause a small increase in heart and breathing rate, such as a brisk walk or bicycle ride. Many perceive vigorous physical activity as “working out” because these are exercises classified as a large increase in heart and breathing rate, usually to near maximal levels. However, vigorous physical activity can also include hiking or high-strain house or yard work.

Day et al. (2009) describe that lack of physical activity, especially for prepubescent girls, can increase risk for cardiovascular disease and complications with sexual maturity. For boys, a sedentary lifestyle increases risk for high blood pressure and obesity, especially when coupled with unhealthy eating habits.

Individual

Individual-based programs offer personalized strategies and support to help people become more physically active and maintain healthier lifestyles. Mokmin & Jamiat (2020) discuss the TRAINIME virtual fitness trainer app. The app addresses key personal factors influencing physical activity participation, particularly for at-risk children. The app uses the motor learning theory to enhance users’ self-efficacy through observational learning and gradual skill development. The app encourages engagement and a sense of autonomy by allowing users to select fitness levels and follow virtual trainers that match their goals. A recent study showed that students felt better about themselves and reported having fun after participating in a practice session with the virtual trainers (Mokmin & Jamiat, 2020).

Additionally, researchers believe that they can reach populations that may be challenging to reach through traditional health promotion methods, through activities that most people consider unhealthy: playing video games. Studies have shown that movement-related video games, like Wii Sports or Just Dance, increase physical activity and improve self-efficacy (Pakarinen et al., 2017). Pakarinen et al. (2017) found that increases in self-efficacy result in children wanting to be physically active and more confident in their ability to engage in physical activity. This newfound confidence from something as simple as getting off the couch to play video games means children can start gaining these lifelong benefits at a very young age.

Relationship

While apps and movement-related video games are helpful ways to increase physical activity in children and adolescents, programs that involve a child’s community, family members, or peers can influence a child’s decision to be active. The Boys and Girls Club of America promotes teamwork and community-building activities, whether through participating in physical activity or some other form of team-building activity. The club reported in 2023 that 54 percent of their club members are physically active 4-5 times a week, with 34 percent being physically active daily (Boys and Girls Club of America, 2023).

Peer influence for physical activity can motivate children and adolescents to move.  As Brown et al. (2016) explain, younger obese children felt motivated to lose weight when peers at school teased them. The challenge ahead of future programs is to figure out how to channel the desire to “fit in” without using teasing.  A positive alternative includes proposing other avenues for movement with friends. Children are more likely to engage in exercise when they are in the company of peers and friends than to be physically active on their own (Salvy et al., 2009).

The relationships formed at home can also help the entire family reap the benefits of physical activity. When children go on a weight-loss journey, evidence shows that adults in the home are also likely to begin a weight-loss program (Brown et al., 2016). Ha et al. (2019) used a family-based intervention program to promote physical activity in Hong Kong. Due to an academically-focused culture in Hong Kong, many parents prioritize their child’s academic achievement over physical activity. Researchers found that intervention programs targeting parents and children are rare but far more effective than those targeting children alone (Ha et al., 2019). The home environment is critical for a child’s development, and encouraging physical activity at home can reward family members for being physically active.

Community

Beyond a child’s close circle of friends, family, and peers, the community as a whole can make a difference in a child’s physical activity habits. The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) offers community programs that provide safe spaces for physical activity, including sports leagues, fitness classes, and recreational activities (YMCA, n.d.). Their child care programs provide an educational environment that encourages children to engage in physical activity. The YMCA’s outreach to its surrounding communities can create a societal shift toward normalizing physical activity and encouraging children to engage in it.

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a program that aims to increase the number of girls from at-risk populations who participate in consistent physical activity. Weiss et al. (2019) discussed personal surveys taken by girls pre- and post-GOTR participation. These surveys highlighted girls with below-average scores in categories such as self-esteem, body image, and overall confidence prior to GOTR involvement. Following participation in GOTR, these factors greatly improved, even surpassing average scores. These factors are heavily influenced by physical activity and, when left unaddressed, can become risk factors for more serious mental and physical health issues later in life (Day et al., 2009).

Community-based programs, especially in rural and low-income communities, work best when communities offer organized and structured opportunities for children (Ostermeier et al., 2024). Activities include school and club sports, recreational classes, and other scheduled events. Ostermeier et al. (2024) discussed that children felt that if their communities provided a wide variety of services and programs, they would be more physically active because they would participate in an activity they enjoyed.

Societal

Beyond the child’s small community, society as a whole can promote change for children’s participation in physical activity. The NFL PLAY 60 and Fitnessgram programs merged in 2010 to create a program that has shown positive results in increasing enjoyment in competition and physical and financial benefits. The program was initially designed to support school environmental changes that improve nutrition and physical activity (Saint-Maurice et al., 2017). The program aims to find populations of children in poor physical condition and change their attitudes toward physical activity and nutrition. When researchers implemented it in a medium-sized Moroccan school system, they found that sports benefited the children’s physical health by elevating their attitude toward sports and the competition that comes with it (Welk et al., 2016). Implementing this program in American schools has many similar impacts on the school; any differences are due to societal beliefs and values.

Studies show that outdoor spaces, like sidewalks, parks, and playgrounds, increase self-esteem, problem-solving abilities, social behaviors, and motor skills (Ostermeier et al., 2024). The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) campaign aims to make walking and riding a bicycle to and from school safer, convenient, and fun for children. They collaborate with policymakers to improve the infrastructure of mainly low-income and at-risk communities. Since 2005, the program has benefited over 14,000 communities in all 50 states (Safe Routes Partnership, n.d.). Installing safer routes to school also brings more opportunities for the children to engage in physical activity consistently.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, significant cuts in funding led to the closure of many rural recreation centers and programs, leading to the loss of organized physical activity opportunities (Ostermeier et al., 2024). In communities already lacking infrastructure, the decreased funding made physical activity even more difficult. Local communities and schools can apply for physical education initiative grants through federal and nonprofit organizations for equipment, curriculum development, and professional development opportunities (Sparx Services, 2024).

References

American Heart Association (2024, Jan 19). American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults

Boys and Girls Club of America. (2023). Measuring the Impact of Boys & Girls Clubs. https://www.bgca.org/about-us/club-impact/

Brown, C. L., Skelton, J. A., Perrin, E. M., & Skinner, A. C. (2016). Behaviors and motivations for weight loss in children and adolescents. Obesity, 24(2), 446–452. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21370

Caspersen, C. J., Powell, K. E., & Christenson, G. M. (1985). Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public health reports, 100(2), 126–131. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3920711/ 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, January 8). Child activity: An overview. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/children.html

Day, R. S., Fulton, J. E., Dai, S., Mihalopoulos, N. L., & Barradas, D. T. (2009). Nutrient intake, physical activity, and CVD risk factors in children: Project HeartBeat. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 37(1), S25–S33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2009.04.006

Ha, A. S., Ng, J. Y. Y., Lonsdale, C., Lubans, D. R., & Ng, F. F. (2019). Promoting physical activity in children through family-based intervention: Protocol of the “Active 1 + FUN” randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6537-3

Mokmin, N. A. M., & Jamiat, N. (2020). The effectiveness of a virtual fitness trainer app in motivating and engaging students for fitness activity by applying motor learning theory. Education and Information Technologies, 26, 1847–1864. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10337-7

Ostermeier, E., Gilliland, J., Irwin, J. D., Seabrook, J. A., & Tucker, P. (2024). Developing community-based physical activity interventions and recreational programming for children in rural and smaller urban centres: A qualitative exploration of service provider and parent experiences. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11418-w

Pakarinen, A., Parisod, H., Smed, J., & Salanterä, S. (2017). Health game interventions to enhance physical activity self‐efficacy of children: a quantitative systematic review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 73(4), 794–811. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13160

Safe Routes Partnership. (n.d.). What is Safe Routes to School? https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/safe-routes-school/101

Saint-Maurice, P. F., Bai, Y., Welk, G. J., Bandelli, L. N., Allums-Featherston, K., & Candelaria, N. (2017). Impact of NFL PLAY 60 programming on elementary school children’s body mass index and aerobic capacity: The NFL PLAY 60 Fitnessgram partnership project. Journal of School Health, 87(11), 873–881. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12561 

Salvy, S. J., Roemmich, J. N., Bowker, J. C., Romero, N. D., Stadler, P. J., & Epstein, L. H. (2009). Effect of peers and friends on youth physical activity and motivation to be physically active. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34(2), 217-225. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsn071

Sparks Services (2024). Physical education grant funding. https://www.sparxservices.org/blog/physical-education-grant-funding

Weiss, M. R., Kipp, L. E., Phillips Reichter, A., Espinoza, S. M., & Bolter, N. D. (2019). Girls on the run: Impact of a physical activity youth development program on psychosocial and behavioral outcomes. Pediatric Exercise Science, 31(3), 330–340. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.2018-0168

Welk, G. J., Bai, Y., Saint-Maurice, P. F., Allums-Featherston, K., & Candelaria, N. (2016). Design and evaluation of the NFL PLAY 60 Fitnessgram partnership project. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 87(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2015.1127126

YMCA. (n.d.). Community Programs.  https://www.ymca.org/what-we-do/social-responsibility/diverse-communities/programs