FILE – A mother and child stop by to pick fruits and vegetables from shelves outside a shop in the town center of Bromley, London, UK, 3 February 2020. (Photo by Richard Baker/Photo via Getty Images)
London – Exercise has many benefits, including coping with the daily challenges of being a parent. But new research suggests that less than half of mothers meet the recommended daily levels. physical activity.
The amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was, on average, even lower for younger children and mothers with multiple children.
the study, Posted on PLOS ONE November 16thconducted by a team from the Universities of Cambridge and Southampton in the UK, researchers analyzed data from 848 women who participated UK Southampton Women Survey An accelerometer was worn to assess activity level.
Keith Godfrey, MRC Center for Life Course Epidemiology and NIHR, said: The Southampton Biomedical Research Center said in a statement:
“Local government planners and leisure facility providers need to do more to support mothers to engage in physical activity,” Godfrey added.
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Study: Fewer than 50% of mothers meet recommended physical activity
Women aged 20 to 34 years were recruited between 1998 and 2002 and followed for several years thereafter.
Women with school-aged children averaged about 26 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, while mothers with only young children under the age of 4 averaged about 18 minutes per day. I exercised.
Studies have shown that mothers of multiple children could only manage an average of about 21 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day.
Interestingly, the team found that mothers with multiple children, all under the age of five, engaged in more light intensity activity than mothers with school-age children.
Fewer than 50% of mothers achieved the recommended level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (150 minutes per week) regardless of their child’s age.
Exercise, especially moderate-to-vigorous exercise, has some notable health benefits.can be improved by moving brain health and mood, help weight management, disease riskStrengthen bone and muscleand improve their abilities daily activities, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states.
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A recent study found that physically active young adults can save a lot on Medicare costs as they get older.
“When you have young children, parental responsibilities take over and it is often difficult to find time to be active other than the time you spend caring for them. It’s one of the first things that gets you lost, so most of the physical activity that moms can manage seems to be low intensity.” Dr. Kathryn Heskethfrom the MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge.
Mothers manage more physical activity when their children go to school, Hesketh said.
“There could be many reasons for this, including more opportunities to participate in more intense activities with children, a return to active commuting, and more comfortable and active use of time alone. ,” said Hesketh. he suggested.
Evidence suggests that physical activity can help parents cope with the day-to-day challenges of parenthood and strengthen relationships with their children when they are active together. Dr Rachel Simpson MRC, University of Cambridge Students from the epidemiology unit stressed that there are clear benefits “both in the short and long term” of doing more exercise.
“In addition to encouraging mothers, we need to look at ways to make it as easy as possible for busy mothers, especially mothers with young children, to increase the amount of higher-intensity physical activity.
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This story was reported from Cincinnati.
