Research: Healthy—or unhealthy—childhood habits could shape adult habits
A person’s strength and cardiovascular fitness in adulthood may be traced back to behaviors established during childhood, according to a new University of Georgia study.
The study found that healthy or unhealthy exercise habits in adolescence, starting as early as age 11, may set the stage for physical health later in life.
“Not only is this polarization happening, but it continues,” said Sami Yli-Piipari, corresponding author of the study and an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology. “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 findings could have implications for cardiovascular disease and obesity prevention down the line, the researchers said.