White paper
Energy expenditure on a KOMPAN school age playground
Energy expenditure study
The Surgeon Generals Report on Physical Activity and Health suggests that everybody should burn 150 calories of energy per day in order to maintain a healthy body composition of bone, muscle, and fatty tissue. However, this energy balance is off for many children.
For this reason, KOMPAN Play Institute and the University of Southern Denmark set out to research how many calories school-aged children burn when they engage in 30 minutes of free play on KOMPAN play equipment.
Results found that Year 4 children burned more than 150 calories through 30 minutes of play on KOMPAN products. In comparison, children who engaged in 30 minutes of general playground activity burned two-thirds of the 150 calorie recommendation.
Recommendations
Playgrounds with developmentally appropriate equipment contribute to children’s physical activity requirements. The total amount of 150 calories per day can easily be accomplished with just 45 minutes of play.
Playground play - in combination with sports activities during break times, PE, or extraneous activities - is an optimal environmental intervention for children’s health.
Webinars and white papers about play
A Design Checklist for Success with Inclusive Playgrounds
Equality in play – Survey on playground use in children with disabilities
Climbing activates tween girls - How to increase tween girls' physical activity
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