VIDBE-Q 2025 Volume 70 Issue 4
Physical activity is important throughout all stages of life, improving
cardiovascular, muscular, and cognitive health and decreasing the risk of obesity,
diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis (World Health Organization, 2022). Conversely,
increased sedentary behaviors can lead to negative health consequences such as
osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, and obesity-related diseases. The World Health
Organization recommends that children participate in 60 minutes per day of
physical activity, however globally only approximately 20% of adolescents (11-17
years) were not participating in enough physical activity (2022). Children who
have low physical activity levels are likely to have higher screen time and a higher
body mass index (BMI; Alghamdi & Alsaigh, 2023).
Participating in physical activity is a way to prevent the negative
consequences of living a sedentary life. During early motor development, children
develop motor milestones which lead to the acquisition of fundamental motor skills
(Clark & Metcalfe, 2002). Motor milestones and balance are foundational to the
development of fundamental motor skills (FMS; Beach et al., 2024). FMS include
locomotor skills (e.g. running, skipping, hopping, jumping) and ball skills (e.g.
throwing, catching, rolling, striking). Young children build FMS by interacting
with their environment (Beach, et al., 2021). FMS proficiency at a younger age is
important because it leads to a higher motor competence and health-related fitness
in adulthood (Stodden et al., 2008).
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