Females ‘Less physically active’
The studies are being presented at the UK Society for Behavioural Medicine annual conference. The researchers stating that females are less physically active at both ends of life than their male counterparts, two studies suggest. Researchers studied activity levels in school children and the over 70s-and in both cases found males tended to be more active. Liverpool John Moores University found girls take part in 6% less vigorous playtime activity than boys. The researchers, who focused on 10 and 11 year-old children in the school playground, found that boys and girls tend to play differently. Girls tended to spend time in smaller groups and engage in verbal games, conversation and socialising. Most boys, however, played in larger groups, which tend themselves more to physically active games, such as football. Researcher Dr Nicky Ridgers said: “It is a concern that girls’ activity level are lower than boys and, although it is just one piece in a complex picture, this could be contributing to girls being overweight and obese. “School should be aware of the differences between the way girls and boys behave in the playground and the fact that girls tend to favour small group activities. “They could then consider the availability of equipment and provision of playtime activities that would encourage girls to take part in more vigorously play.” The gender difference was mirrored in a second study, led by the University of Britol, which looked at activity levels among the over-70s. In general, levels of physical activity were very low among most people of both sexes aged over 70. More than 70% of the people who took part in the study walked for fewer than 5,000 steps a day. However, women were more likely to be less active than men. Researcher Professor Ken Fox said: “Men accomplish more higher intensity physical activity than women and this seems to be explained by trips out of the house. “However, there is evidence that they also sit down longer periods in the day. “Women do more lower intensity activity which probably represents daily tasks around the house. Today women are very activity. Who care what a researchers says.
