Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle, but just one in every three adults in the United States reaches the weekly exercise recommendation. The effort to stay fit becomes more difficult for parents, who frequently prioritise their children’s demands over their own.

A new study, titled “The Association between Adult Sport, Fitness, and Recreational Physical Activity and Number and Age of Children Present in the Household,” reveals that adults with multiple young children engage in significantly less vigorous physical activity compared to those with fewer or no children. The findings have important implications for adults who aspire to be more physically active but struggle to find the time due to their caregiving responsibilities.