Physical Activity in Preschool Children: Recommendation and Reality

Physical activity is important for the healthy growth of children. Children's lifestyle is dominated by sedentary habits, especially the use of audiovisual media, even at kindergarten age. Inactive children may have motor deficits. In our own studies, at least 45 % of preschool children showed below-average results in various motor abilities (coordination, strength, and speed). Little is known about potential consequences for physical and psychosocial health or cognitive function. It is supposed that motor deficits support further avoidance and the decline of physical activity as well as the development of overweight and obesity. Nowadays, it is recommended that children in this age group should be active every day, at least for 2 hours, and avoid television time beyond the maximum of 30 min. To achieve these goals effective preventive programs have to be designed and implemented in various settings such as kindergarten but also pediatric practices etc. Until today, there is no gold standard for health performance and prevention programs, especially for families with a low socioeconomic status and/or migration background. Operating within the broader context of inter-sectoral working and use of quality management, prevention has sought to maximise integrative and synergistic action for sustainable health in childhood.