Module 1: Promoting Physical Activity for Young Children
Importance of Physical Activity for Young Children
All children need regular physical activity to grow up healthy. Promoting an active lifestyle is the best way to help them have healthy lives. Physical activity helps:
- Develop strong bones and muscles
- Promote fitness and heart health
- Burn calories
- Promote a healthy weight
Being physically active in childhood can also help lower risk for chronic diseases like:1
- Obesity
- Osteoporosis (a disease where the bones become brittle and can break)
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Hyperlipidemia (high levels of lipids [fat] in blood)
Development of the curriculum was supported by a grant (T79MCO9805) from the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau,
to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Nutrition.
