Lisa Mann says if children were given the chance to stretch their legs in school classrooms it would encourage them to be more active and they’d be more likely to concentrate.
Child obesity rates are worse here than the UK – a new report out yesterday shows that more than a third of Jersey’s ten and eleven-year-olds are obese or overweight and so are almost a quarter of our five-year-olds.
Lisa who runs the Jersey Sports & Spinal Clinic said: “As a nation we’re all becoming much more sedentary. Physical inactivity is the fourth biggest killer in the world – ahead of obesity, high blood pressure and tobacco.
“In Jersey at least 45% of adults are not taking the recommended daily exercise we should be having, children are not seeing adults being active and that’s contributing to an obesity epidemic.
“Studies have shown that children in school are seated for prolonged periods of time and that has a knock on effect on their level of engagement in class.”
Local firms like Rowlands are already taking a stand to help their workforce be more active – they have provided standing desks for all their employees and Lisa says that’s given them the option to burn off around 500 extra calories during the day.
Lisa said: “If it could be an option for schools it would be fantastic – giving them the option to sit, option to stand or to perch on a nearby stool.
“Hopefully they’d be more likely to move and be active – the benefits are two-fold, improved concentration in schools and children would be more active more of the time.
“We’re very fortunate in Jersey that there are fantastic facilities in schools and after-school activities, but there are those who do a massive amount of sport but there is a proportioin of those not doing enough physical activity.
“We need to instill good habits and for physical activity to become the norm.”