UCSD: For parents who send their kids to dance classes to get some
exercise, a new study from researchers at University of California, San
Diego School of Medicine suggests most youth dance classes provide only
limited amounts of physical activity. The study, published online May 18 in the journal
Pediatrics,
found that slightly more than one-third of class time, on average, was
spent engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The remainder
of class time was spent doing light activities such as standing,
listening or stretching, according to researchers, who analyzed activity
levels of girls ages five to 18 participating in a variety of dance
class types.
