Exercise and Adolescent Girls – Let’s kick it up!
I suspect that not many people are aware of the TAAG studies. TAAG stands for, “Trial of Activity of Adolescent Girls” and is a research study funded by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the NIH (National Institutes of Health). There are six universities who serve as field centers for these studies and the purpose of them is to test the effectiveness of intervention of school and community programs developed to reverse the current decline in physical activity in girls when they reach middle school age.
The number of studies that have been conducted for this purpose is actually quite high, and I am disappointed that they never seem to make the national news. Shame, isn’t it, that we are seeing more and more young people (girls and boys) who are struggling with weight, yet, the research from those who are concerned about this epidemic of obesity is going unnoticed. So, today’s blog will touch on some of the more interesting results of these studies. All abstracts will be listed below, if you wish to read more.
First, researchers did some studying on just what state our physical education system is in, and so I start with a simple study that showed that there is no consistency in our physical educational system. This is only one of many baseline studies, however, which pretty much showed the same thing. If we hope to improve the health and weight of our young women, we need to increase their exposure of physical activity in the school system.
The second study that I reviewed was comparing the weights of girls in areas where schools were locked, and inaccessible for Saturday recreation. The conclusion was there was no correlation, but the researchers also pointed out those girls don’t even consider this as an option! Authors of the study did point out that many of these schools were in areas where perhaps it wasn’t safe for these girls to play at the school on Saturday, either. I bring this up because we always could play at the schools when they were closed!
So the next conclusion was where CAN these girls go? Consequently, the next two studies looked at the number of commercial physical activity venues that were close to where the girls lived and the likelihood of the girls using them. It was concluded that the more options girls had, locally, the more exercise they actually participated in. However, the second study pointed out that it is important to be sure to get the word out that these facilities are there and available. It is very important that the parents play a role in helping stimulate interest, too.
The next study compared the amount of exercise girls get when they walk to and from school. I’m sure it will come as no surprise that those who walked burnt more calories! Can your children walk to school? A problem with our neighborhoods in many cities, however, is there is either no place to walk, or it’s not safe to walk. However, other areas do offer safe walking areas and the kids just are no longer used to having to actually walk to school. I know this will sound like the old clique, but when I was in school, from elementary school through high school, we usually walked, and our high school was a good 30-45 minute walk!
The next study was interesting because it compared the activity of girls supervised and unsupervised. Now, I could never imagine NOT supervising my 6th grade daughter, but I know many families allow their young, pre-teen girls to fend for themselves. This is a whole different topic I’m not getting into. However, what was most interesting about this study was they found the unsupervised girls were more active! Granted, they were less likely to do their homework, and they talked on the phone more, but they listened to more music and danced more! So, maybe there needs to be more programs offering ‘fun’ activities for the girls. In fact, many other studies address this very issue; what WOULD girls like to see in supervised programs?
I could actually go on, but you may get the point. There are also multiple studies on how to then incorporate what researchers are learning from these studies. It’s not enough to just say this is what they find, but we must also put into play how to incorporate those findings. This means that the program isn’t just one of study, but of action. In fact, if you did a Google search for TAAG, you will also find sites that help various schools put into practice what has been learned!
What is most important through of all of this is that it DOES make a difference if your kids are outside, physically active. We want our children to be healthy and live long, happy lives. There is no reason our kids should be overweight. What we encourage them to do, today, will help with that goal of being healthy and happy. Of course, WE must set the example, too! What are YOU doing to set a healthy, fit example for your kids??
To read about the TAAG program, click here.
To read, Girls' activity levels and lesson contexts in middle school PE: TAAG baseline, click here.
To read the Weekend schoolyard accessibility, physical activity, and obesity: the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls (TAAG) study, click here.
Click here to read the abstract for, Commercial venues as supports for physical activity in adolescent girls.
Click here. to read the abstract for, Comparing perceived and objectively measured access to recreational facilities as predictors of physical activity in adolescent girls.
To read, Travel by walking before and after school and physical activity among adolescent girls, click here.
To read, The relationship between unsupervised time after school and physical activity in adolescent girls, Click here.
The number of studies that have been conducted for this purpose is actually quite high, and I am disappointed that they never seem to make the national news. Shame, isn’t it, that we are seeing more and more young people (girls and boys) who are struggling with weight, yet, the research from those who are concerned about this epidemic of obesity is going unnoticed. So, today’s blog will touch on some of the more interesting results of these studies. All abstracts will be listed below, if you wish to read more.
First, researchers did some studying on just what state our physical education system is in, and so I start with a simple study that showed that there is no consistency in our physical educational system. This is only one of many baseline studies, however, which pretty much showed the same thing. If we hope to improve the health and weight of our young women, we need to increase their exposure of physical activity in the school system.
The second study that I reviewed was comparing the weights of girls in areas where schools were locked, and inaccessible for Saturday recreation. The conclusion was there was no correlation, but the researchers also pointed out those girls don’t even consider this as an option! Authors of the study did point out that many of these schools were in areas where perhaps it wasn’t safe for these girls to play at the school on Saturday, either. I bring this up because we always could play at the schools when they were closed!
So the next conclusion was where CAN these girls go? Consequently, the next two studies looked at the number of commercial physical activity venues that were close to where the girls lived and the likelihood of the girls using them. It was concluded that the more options girls had, locally, the more exercise they actually participated in. However, the second study pointed out that it is important to be sure to get the word out that these facilities are there and available. It is very important that the parents play a role in helping stimulate interest, too.
The next study compared the amount of exercise girls get when they walk to and from school. I’m sure it will come as no surprise that those who walked burnt more calories! Can your children walk to school? A problem with our neighborhoods in many cities, however, is there is either no place to walk, or it’s not safe to walk. However, other areas do offer safe walking areas and the kids just are no longer used to having to actually walk to school. I know this will sound like the old clique, but when I was in school, from elementary school through high school, we usually walked, and our high school was a good 30-45 minute walk!
The next study was interesting because it compared the activity of girls supervised and unsupervised. Now, I could never imagine NOT supervising my 6th grade daughter, but I know many families allow their young, pre-teen girls to fend for themselves. This is a whole different topic I’m not getting into. However, what was most interesting about this study was they found the unsupervised girls were more active! Granted, they were less likely to do their homework, and they talked on the phone more, but they listened to more music and danced more! So, maybe there needs to be more programs offering ‘fun’ activities for the girls. In fact, many other studies address this very issue; what WOULD girls like to see in supervised programs?
I could actually go on, but you may get the point. There are also multiple studies on how to then incorporate what researchers are learning from these studies. It’s not enough to just say this is what they find, but we must also put into play how to incorporate those findings. This means that the program isn’t just one of study, but of action. In fact, if you did a Google search for TAAG, you will also find sites that help various schools put into practice what has been learned!
What is most important through of all of this is that it DOES make a difference if your kids are outside, physically active. We want our children to be healthy and live long, happy lives. There is no reason our kids should be overweight. What we encourage them to do, today, will help with that goal of being healthy and happy. Of course, WE must set the example, too! What are YOU doing to set a healthy, fit example for your kids??
To read about the TAAG program, click here.
To read, Girls' activity levels and lesson contexts in middle school PE: TAAG baseline, click here.
To read the Weekend schoolyard accessibility, physical activity, and obesity: the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls (TAAG) study, click here.
Click here to read the abstract for, Commercial venues as supports for physical activity in adolescent girls.
Click here. to read the abstract for, Comparing perceived and objectively measured access to recreational facilities as predictors of physical activity in adolescent girls.
To read, Travel by walking before and after school and physical activity among adolescent girls, click here.
To read, The relationship between unsupervised time after school and physical activity in adolescent girls, Click here.
posted by Margie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT at
3:37 AM
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