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Human beings are designed for physical activity. Human movement is positively related to health. The purpose of the present chapter was to make a summary of physical activity and health in adolescents and the second purpose was to present the outcomes from a 6 month physical activity program in physically inactive female high school students. A prospective cluster randomized controlled intervention study included 104 physically inactive female high school students was performed. The regular physical activity at least once weekly during six months influenced and improved self-related health and the frequency of physical activity in physically inactive female high school students.

 

Maximal oxygen consumption was also improved in the intervention group, but not in the control group. At the 1-year follow up 25 out of 53 female high school students were still physically active in sports. From a health point of view it is important to find strategies to help and encourage adolescents to be physically active. This chapter showed that physical activity was positively associated with self-related health and that it was possible to achieve improvements in physical activity.

 

Human beings are designed for physical activity. Human movement is positively related to health. The physically active life-style has changed. In history physical activity was necessary for health (survival) and now physical activity is still important for health (survival) but the behaviour of physical activity has changed.