The volume of physical activity during school holidays of children in higher grades of elementary school : An index of the number of steps to ensure the target volume of physical activity

Abstract

  This study aimed to clarify the volume of physical activity performed by elementary schoolchildren on school holidays through a comparison of activity on school holidays to school days, in order to propose an index of the number of steps needed to ensure the target volume of physical activity on school holidays.

The following results were obtained:

1.The mean number of steps on school holidays was 10,046 for boys and 7,376 for girls, which was 71.8% of the number on school days for boys and 68.9％ for girls. The time spent on activity at intensity LC4‒9 on school holidays was 35.9 min (69.6% of the time on school days) for boys and 24.3 min (68.3%) for girls. The time spent on activity at intensity LC7‒9 on school holidays was 12.4 min (65.1%) for boys and 8.5 min (75.1%) for girls.

2. The group that did not perform exercise on school holidays had greatly reduced physical activity time with respect to school days.

3. To ensure the target volume of physical activity (60 min or more at LC4‒9) the target index should be 15,000 steps incorporating exercise. Also, lifestyles should be organized to aim for 12,000steps in order to ensure 60 min of physical activity at walking intensity or greater（LC3-9）.