Sami Yli-Piipari, associate professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s kinesiology department, spoke with Futurity about the ways that exercise habits (or lack thereof) in adolescence can set the stage for long-term physical health.
“Not only is this polarization happening, but it also continues,” Yli-Piipari said. “As you grow up, you tend to stay in the same group of habits, meaning that if you are not active and you have a little problem with your weight, that will likely remain as you age.”
The study found four patterns after following children for four years. Nearly half were in the two less healthy profiles, and more half of those children were girls.
“These profiles are quite stable, which is something that we have to take action on,” Yli-Piipari said. “We have to make sure that when children are young, they have positive support for activities that improve their health. It is difficult to become more active or to stay active.”
Less healthy behaviors were linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and childhood obesity.
“There are so many cardiovascular risk factors that are genetic or biological, but obviously health is also a big part of it. Cardiovascular diseases are, in the long run, life-threatening diseases, so cardiovascular health is so important,” Yli-Piipari said.
It’s important to start early with healthy habits to reduce health risks in vulnerable teens and to maintain those routines in others.
“Where can you learn those skills about your health?” he said. “That’s school, physical education and clubs. We want to encourage parents to engage and take their kids to these kinds of activities — not even for them to be great athletes, but to learn different kinds of skills and habits.”
For adults who want to change or improve their habits, it may be difficult to start new exercise habits, but it’s not impossible, according to Yli-Piipari.
“It’s never too late to start being active,” he said. “If you find something that you like to do, you can totally change your behaviors and reduce your cardiovascular disease risks.”