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Leading by example: Do active parents raise more active kids? New study explores

Do your daily fitness habits also shape your children's habits?

By Steph Green Sep 26, 2025 12:16 PM

kid exercising — Marvin Cors / Unsplash

Many of the movers and shakers of the world will tell you that they looked up to their parents in one way or another, learned from them, and were inspired and motivated by them. For parents wanting to raise kids who are movers in the sense of moving their muscles, a new study shows that leading by example might just be the way to go. Parents don’t just pass down their genes. Do active parents really raise more active kids? These researchers set off to find out.

The study

An interesting new study published in Sports Medicine and Health Science involved 182 children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 17 who wore accelerometers. These devices measure movement. The researchers aimed to investigate the association between parental physical activity level and sedentary behavior in children.

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The children and teens wore the small, lightweight accelerometer device at the hip line on the right side of the body, throughout the day for seven days. They also received verbal and written instructions on how to use the device, as well as daily text reminders to wear them.

The researchers classified the physical activity levels of the parents as “physically active” or “insufficiently active” based on the global recommendations of a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week.

The results

The researchers concluded that children tend to copy the behavior and habits of their parents, regardless of whether their parents are physically active or sedentary.

Here’s what they found:

Children and teens with inactive parents spent more time being sedentary and sitting.
Children and teens with active parents were less sedentary overall. “A higher level of parental physical activity contributes to the reduction in sedentary behavior of children and adolescents”.

The researchers emphasized the importance of encouraging physical activity in the family environment.

Concluding thoughts

These findings echo the results of previous research showing that the activity levels of parents really do influence the movement of their kiddos. For example, in another study, researchers showed that “for every 20-minute increase in a parent’s moderate to vigorous physical activity, the child’s moderate to vigorous physical activity increased by 5 to 10 minutes”. If you’re a mother or father, it turns out, you really are leading by example, teaching, and influencing your children’s daily habits, which impact their wellness, fitness, and quality of life.

Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio

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