Saturday, July 22 2006 12:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: At least 90 minutes of exercise a day during childhood could help beat heart disease later in life, say European researchers.

Ulf Ekelund and his colleagues at the Medical Research Council's epidemiology unit in Cambridge checked 1,700 children aged 9-15 years for risk factors such as blood pressure, weight and cholesterol, and monitored their levels of activity.

The study found that the less active children were at higher risk of developing heart problems later, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.

Nine-year-olds who did almost two hours of moderate to vigorous activity, equivalent to brisk walking were at the least risk and 15-year-olds were advised to exercise for around 90 minutes.

"It is clear that a low level of physical activity in children is associated with risk factors that are known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in later life," said Ekelund.

In Britain, as in other European countries and the US, guidelines adopted almost 10 years ago recommend at least an hour a day of moderate activity for children aged 5-18.

This includes cycling, running, sports or dancing.

However, current international guidelines published in the latest issue of The Lancet medical journal say that one hour of exercise daily is not enough to keep kids healthy.