PsychCentral – Traci Pedersen
“Daycare centers play a very important role in helping preschoolers reach their daily physical exercise needs. But a new study shows that very few children get adequate outdoor recess time. Only three in 10 children had at least 60 minutes of a full child-care day outdoors for recess, as is recommended by current guidelines. “We know daily physical activity is essential for children’s growth and development. It improves cardiovascular and bone health and has been linked to improved mood, attention, and cognitive performance,” said senior author Kristen Copeland, M.D., of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “Yet, few preschoolers are meeting daily physical activity recommendations of 60 minutes or more per day.””(more)