PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — One area where the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact is in the amount of exercise teenagers are getting. A new study finds that only one-quarter of teens are exercising at the level recommended by health experts.
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, adolescents should participate in moderate to vigorous exercise at least one hour per day.
Prior to the pandemic, the number of teens hitting that goal had been dropping because of factors including increased screen time and other sedentary activities. The trend continued at a faster rate during the pandemic.
According to the latest report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, less than 25% of teens are meeting this goal.
Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough.
KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
