Children should be encouraged to take plenty of weight-bearing exercise to develop and maintain healthier bones, according to a new campaign from the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP).
The Healthy Bones - A hop, skip and jump awayinitiative is part of the ISCP's annual Move 4 Healthhealth awareness campaign and aims to promote the importance of weight-bearing exercises for young people.
Weight-bearing activity is where weight is carried through the limbs, for example, brisk walking, dancing or running.
These exercises utilise bones, making them stronger and more dense, helping to prevent osteoporosis - a common metabolic disorder that weakens bones causing them to break easily.
It is estimated that osteoporosis affects one in three women, and one in 12 men.
"Weight bearing can be anything from walking, running, jumping, skipping, to things like football and rugby. Low weight-bearing exercises would be swimming and cycling, for example. They're good for your heart and lungs but not as beneficial to the bones," said Elaine Barker, chartered physiotherapist and chairwoman of the campaign.
According to Ms Barker, children should take a minimum of 60 minutes' moderate intensity exercise every day, and at least half of this should be weight-bearing. For adults, 30 minutes' moderate intensity exercise, which incorporates 15 minutes of weight-bearing activity, is also important to help maintain healthier bones.
"Unfortunately, in today's society kids are being driven everywhere and are much less active.
"The idea of this campaign is to get kids to exercise as much as possible. It doesn't have to be intensive training or a competitive sport, it can be regular play where they're out running with their friends," she said.
"Everything you invest in youth will stand to you in later life. It's crucial to get this information to children as early as possible as opposed to later on in life when it's not as useful," she explained.
"The optimal time to increase bone density is between the ages of eight and 18 and particularly around puberty. Although most of your bone strength is built up as a child, weight-bearing exercises are still beneficial to adults and can help you maintain bone density."
The healthy bones campaign is supported by international rugby players Brian O'Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Girvan Dempsey and Keith Gleeson.
As part of the initiative, information packs will be available to schools, and physiotherapists from around the country will visit an estimated 20,000 children to educate them on the importance of bone health.
For more information log on to: www.iscp.ie