Britain’s chief medical officers have recommended that disabled children and young people, who are often overlooked during the COVID pandemic, should do 20 minutes of exercise daily and strength and balance activity three times a week, in the first ever physical activity guidelines released for this group.
The health and well-being benefits include stronger muscles and improved confidence, according to the recommendations, underpinned by research from Durham University, the University of Bristol and Disabilities Rights UK.
While chief medical officers have previously issued physical activity guidelines for children and young people, this is the first time such recommendations have been made for the disabled, reports The Guardian.
Brett Smith, professor of disability and physical activity at Durham University, who led the work, said while many disabled children and young people wanted to be active, they and their parents often had questions, including whether it was safe for them to exercise and how much they should do. “They donʼt have any guidance to say physical activity done at certain levels is really good for you. They need that reassurance that itʼs good,” he said.
The new guidelines recommend that disabled children and young people aim for 120 to 180 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic activity a week, or 20 minutes a day, and engage in strength and balance-focused activities around three times a week.
“We donʼt have any evidence to make a minutes recommendation for strength and balance,” said Charlie Foster, professor of physical activity and public health at the University of Bristol, who was also involved in developing the guidelines. He said strength and balance-focused activities included dance, yoga and gymnastics.
As for other groups of individuals, all movement mattered and all “bite-size chunks of activity” counted, he said.
The guidelines, said Smith, were important not only from a public health perspective, but also because they covered a group of individuals often forgotten, adding that disabled people had often been overlooked during the COVID pandemic.
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Research and analysis in disabled children and young people (Open access)
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