Abstract
International Journal of Exercise Science 8(2): 184-191, 2015. For optimal physical and mental health and child growth, development and maturation, the Canadian physical activity guidelines recommend children participate in minimally 60 minutes of moderate intense physical activity each day. It is often believed that children’s participation in sport provides sufficient physical activity to meet these recommendations. The purpose of this study was to measure the amount and intensity of physical activity obtained by children participating in a regularly scheduled ice hockey practice and game. Actigraph GT3X triaxial accelerometers (motion detectors) were used to determine the intensity and amount of physical activity obtained by 9- and 10-year old children (16 boys; 1 girl) during an ice hockey practice and game. Downloaded accelerometer counts were converted to minutes of moderate, hard, or very-hard physical activity. On average, participants spent 30.2 ± 10.8 min or 43.1% of their 70-min ice hockey practice and 22.3 ± 6.3 min or 28.2% of their 80-min ice hockey game in moderate or more intense physical activity. Children’s participation in one session of organized ice hockey, whether a practice or a game, did not meet the minimal daily physical activity recommendation for children. Thus parents, teachers, coaches, and physical activity practitioners must create, support, and encourage additional opportunities for children to engage in physical activity of sufficient intensity for optimal growth and development and to ensure physical and mental health and well-being.
Recommended Citation
van den Berg, Carla and Kolen, Angela M.
(2015)
"Children in organized hockey: How much physical activity do they really get?,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Vol. 8
:
Iss.
2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/vol8/iss2/9