Children are growing weaker and unfit

[Batteryhuman]

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/may/21/children-weaker-computers-replace-activity

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised by this research but it is not good news.

I was most saddened that when asked to do a "wall bars test" not only could 10% of children tested not do it but another 10% wouldn't even try.

Bad parenting is the problem IMO. Too many parents allowing their children to vegetate in front of the TV or games console or internet for hours on end, instead of going out, riding bikes, climbing TVs and playing games.

Not sure climbing on TVs is a very good idea RobF

I meant climbing trees.

It is up to each parents whether they want fit and active children or for them to sit in front of computer games or watch tv. Some parents like to do a range of activites or take their dc to clubs and sports etc others don't.

The figures given are not clear 27% decline in sit ups - how many where they asked to do? 1000 sit-ups or 10?

One in 20 children will not or can't do the monkey bars in 1998 - compares with 2 in 20 can't or will not do the monkey bars now in 2011 - in the scheme of things is this a big worry?

I liked the climibng on tvs.

will test dd on hanging from wall bars, no idea if she can or not

My 9y is fit and active. She partakes in a lot of sport through school and does climbing and bouldering. She also spends a fair amount of time running around or on her scooter or bike at weeends or after school with friends.

However, she can't do the monkey bars and never has been able too. She can hang there but can't swing across them up or lift her body up to try something like a chin up for example.

hula - I couldn't ever do the monkey bars and nor could dd1 - dd2 thought makes them look like they are the easiest thing in the world to do and gently swings from one bar to the next.

I think parents are waaaay too soft now.If families go on a hike soon as little Jimmy whines they turn back.It's part of modern parenting,kids call the shots far too much.In my day you just got on with it.

We're far tougher with ours now they're 7,7 and 6. We've started hiking the moors again.We have plenty of rests,don't make them carry anything and always end up by a stream for a long picnic but they finish the hike wether they like it or not. It's not a marathon,just a couple of miles which we're gradually increasing and they love it.It's the same with bike rides,sorry but we're not doing turning back after carting 5 X bikes out, I know many people would think we're mean.

We do this in London/cities too ie get from a-b whatever. Stop for breaks and keep an easy pace but basically get to where we set out for,gradually increasing the distance.

I think far too many families do this soft expensive play/theme park shite at the weekends so kids just aren't used to exercise as a regular cheap fun activity instead.

Maybe things will change with the austerity measures.

Exactly. As a child on sundays my parents used to take us walking around the peak district, and other places in the local area. Nowadays a sunday out for many families is a trip to the local shopping mall.

i don't think it helps that lots of leisure activities are quite pricey now, swimming for example. the government is cutting alot of outdoor play provisions that were trying to change the 'playstation' culture too though, people are were trying to do something

I don't think family swimming sessions are good exercise unless kids are made to do lengths continuously(impossible in a crowded pool).However parks/areas to play are important.

I do think parenting is important too.Parents that want to will find places to exercise their kids.It maybe more difficult in some areas but not always impossible.

Nay when I was a lass a family swimming session consisted of walking half a mile to the baths playing in the pool and then a play on the swings in the park on the the half mile walk home - though it wasn't a family swim as me dad was working and me ma stayed home - it was cheaper for one child swim and at 8 I was allowed in to them there bath on me own as H&S hadn't been heard off and there were life gards that could save ya if you got in trouble in the waters

Kids do not go out on their own anymore to muck about with friends thats the problem plus there are less places to muck about, hell I'm 32 and I've noticed the amount of places to piss around has diminished massively, when I was growing up there was still bits of scrub land etc left over from the blitz that had not been built on, now all the kids have is playgrounds, which they visit with parents, hardly the way to have fun really and they ain't what they once where.

How many of you are fit anyway? how many of you can go across monkey bars?, how many go bundling off in the car everytime you want to go shopping or something? how many do sports etc?. role models start at home really.

People don't do as much manual labor either...the school where I work just did the rope climbing unit with the DC last week. The farm kids scooted up that rope like nobody's business! :)

I know a lot of parents who are concerned about their DC getting enough outdoor time, but a lot of the those same parents are too fearful to let them jump and climb as much as the children would like too.

Ryoko I can go across the monkey bars and do not drive. :)

If parents don't kick their kids out of the house, kids aren't likely to venture out of their own accord. Sitting home playing computer games and pissing about on the internet is easy. There's no shortage of green space round here, but kids just don't seem to want to make use of it anymore.

I was active up to the age of 9/10 I'd say. But then things went downhill from there. Then again, I'd been bullied since the age of four, adults would do nothing about it - I'd just get told 'Just ignore them'. I was never an active child after the above age, and instead fell into depression. I didn't have games or internet at that age, so you can't blame it on that either.

My 11 yo can do the monkey bars. He plays out most days after school with his friends, football or den building. He kick boxes on Saturday and plays footie after school on Wednesdays. I restrict his tv/computer/games console time to 2 hrs a day, he'd rather be out playing anyway.

But, he has no stamina, no staying power, no grit and determination. I took him for a 7 mile bike ride last weekend, he was thrilled at the prospect. However, we'd gone less than half a mile before he started complaining he was tired. I let him set his own pace, but there was not going to be any turning back. We stopped half way for a drink and a rest. He was genuinely dog tired afterwards.

His 10 yo sister who plays no sport and me, his fat 44 year old mum, managed just fine.

Ryoko I use a cycle for local trips and clock up over 50 miles per week going to and fro work and doing the shopping or fetching dd from swimming three four times a week - she has to cycle there herself. I can go 10 days withut using the car and do often as petrol is not cheap, in saying that though I share the car and don't always have it to use.

I do use my gym membership and cycle to the gym as I can park closer to the gym than any of the cars It makes me giggle to myself they try to park so close as they don't want to walk across the car park, I just dont' get that part?

I drive dd to tri training as it is a 3 mile trip and to cycle on B roads is a25 mile trip, so a tad to far with a two hour training session.

But, I still can't do the monkey bars and dd2 can....so what kind of an exapmple does that make me?

One of a very few by the sounds of it.

I've never driven in my life and mostly walk to places as bus and train is expensive, I doubt DS can use monkey bars he's only 1.

Schools selling off all the playing fields is a factor IMO.

This is why I dont allow consoles in the house and take DCs to soft plays regularly so they can still exercise when it's raining.

I read that under 10's should be doing 10 hours of proper exercise a week.

IMO there should be compulsory DAILY PE in all schools.

no need to get schools to do daily PE, just get the parents to walk their dc to school instead of driving them there in their cars, or get the parents to park 15 minutes walk away from the school and let their dc walk to school and meet them back at the same spot in the afternoon.