Overall , toddlers tend to exceed the total PA recommendation of 180 min/day ; however , very little of this time is spent at higher movement intensities .
Even with high PA rates , toddlers still engage in substantial ST .
Early experiences in physical activity ( PA ) are important to shape healthy movement behaviours long-term ; as such , it is critical that PA is promoted from infancy , and that detrimental behaviours ( e.g. , prolonged sedentary time [ ST ] ) are minimized .
The purpose of this systematic review and meta- analysis was to examine infants ’ and toddlers ’ movement behaviours across daytime hours .
Effect of a governmentally-led physical activity program on motor skills in young children attending child care centers: a cluster randomized controlled trial
Objective To assess the effect of a governmentally-led center based child care physical activity program ( Youp’là Bouge ) on child motor skills . Patients and methods We conducted a single blinded cluster r and omized controlled trial in 58 Swiss child care centers . Centers were r and omly selected and 1:1 assigned to a control or intervention group . The intervention lasted from September 2009 to June 2010 and included training of the educators , adaptation of the child care built environment , parental involvement and daily physical activity .  Motor skill was the primary outcome and body mass index ( BMI ) , physical activity and quality of life secondary outcomes . The intervention implementation was also assessed . Results At baseline , 648 children present on the motor test day were included ( age 3.3 ± 0.6 , BMI 16.3 ± 1.3 kg/m2 , 13.2 % overweight , 49 % girls ) and 313 received the intervention . Relative to children in the control group ( n = 201 ) , children in the intervention group ( n = 187 ) showed no significant increase in motor skills ( delta of mean change ( 95 % confidence interval : -0.2 ( −0.8 to 0.3 ) , p = 0.43 ) or in any of the secondary outcomes . Not all child care centers implemented all the intervention components . Within the intervention group , several predictors were positively associated with trial outcomes : 1 ) free-access to a movement space and parental information session for motor skills 2 ) highly motivated and trained educators for BMI 3 ) free-access to a movement space and purchase of mobile equipment for physical activity ( all p < 0.05 ) . Conclusion This “ real-life ” physical activity program in child care centers confirms the complexity of implementing an intervention outside a study setting and identified potentially relevant predictors that could improve future programs . Trial registration Clinical trials.gov
Overall , toddlers tend to exceed the total PA recommendation of 180 min/day ; however , very little of this time is spent at higher movement intensities .
Even with high PA rates , toddlers still engage in substantial ST .
Early experiences in physical activity ( PA ) are important to shape healthy movement behaviours long-term ; as such , it is critical that PA is promoted from infancy , and that detrimental behaviours ( e.g. , prolonged sedentary time [ ST ] ) are minimized .
The purpose of this systematic review and meta- analysis was to examine infants ’ and toddlers ’ movement behaviours across daytime hours .