The Impact of Regular Physical Activity on Children’s Health Parameters: A Critical Literature Analysis of Metabolism, the Musculoskeletal System, Respiratory System Diseases, and Neuropsychiatry
Physical activity is widely recognized as beneficial to children's health, but knowledge about the positive effects depending on the intensity and regularity of physical exercise remains insufficient. This study aimed to compile research covering a broad pediatric population and identify the most significant, commonly observed benefits, as well as to analyze detailed research results concerning the most common health disorders, such as obesity, diabetes, and respiratory system diseases. It has been shown that the greater the regularity and intensity of exercise, the better the health parameters observed in children. The benefits of physical training also include improved subjective well-being, greater self-esteem, better emotional regulation, and overall improvement in cognitive function. They increase bone mineral content and mineral density, which leads to increased strength and stability of the skeleton. Habits formed during childhood have a significant impact on the potential development of diseases in adulthood; therefore, interdisciplinary cooperation between specialists is advisable, and, in certain cases, the preparation of individual exercise interventions, especially in the case of coexisting endocrine disorders.
Authors
- Małgorzata Kubicka
- Julia Żerdka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3901-9097)
- Patryk Brasse (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6513-1490)
- J Banach (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5525-3288)
- Aleksandra Owczarska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3537-4235)
- Hubert Dacyl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6417-6382)
- Eliza Kwapień (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7719-1825)
- Jakub Bartkowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1923-6625)
- Mateusz Piszka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7437-3829)
Institutions
- Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny nr 4 w Bytomiu (PL)
- Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny nr 5 im. św. Barbary w Sosnowcu (PL)
- Polish Wood Cluster (PL)
- Centro Peruano de Estudios Sociales (PE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2025-11-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.98198
- Primary Topic
- Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00