Is baseball considered exercise?

www.thelighterweigh.com

I have many patients tell me that their children exercise every day for an hour or more each time. When I first started my practice, I was thrilled that I had such active patients. But upon closer exam, I realized that my definition of exercise is very different from most other people's. You are truly exercising when your heart is racing, your face is bright red, you are sweating, and you are slightly uncomfortable. Standing in the outfield, waiting for a fly ball, is NOT exercise. Many of my patients tell me that they stop exercising when they feel slightly short of breath. But that is when real exercise usually begins. If you can have a conversation, you are not truly exercising. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends 60 minutes of active exercise most days of the week. Their definition of active exercise is the same as mine. While I would love my patients to exercise as much as official recommendations call for, I would be happy with 45 minutes of active exercise at least 4 days a week. So make sure that your child is truly exercising when they are "exercising".