Parents of lazy teenagers now have the backing of Otago research to support them as they urge their idle adolescents to get up off the couch. A study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal today found only a third of Otago teenagers exercised enough to meet recommended guidelines for daily physical activity. Just 35% of the Otago youths met the physical activity guideline of a solid hour of exercise daily, broadly in line with international studies, a group of scientists including University of Otago researchers found. "If these adolescents as a group were to increase their daily physical activity by six minutes they would meet the guidelines," the article said. "Future initiatives to increase physical activity among New Zealand adolescents should focus on facilitating active transport to school through initiatives such as creating safe walking and cycling routes to school, promoting inclusive sport participation, and increasing peer and family support for physical activity."

Source: Otago Daily Times April 29, 2021 16:30 UTC