孩子的运动技能影响其健康成长

There might be a way to predict whether young children will grow into active teens－or fall prey to a more sedentary lifestyle. The key? Motor skills.

可能有种方法可以预测儿童将来是否能够茁壮成长。答案就是，运动技能。

A recent study found a link between object-control skills in childhood and fitness in adolescence. The study published in a recent issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise put 276 elementary school kids in New South Wales, Australia, through movement skill tests. Three were related to object control (kicking, catching and overhand throwing), and four were focused on locomotor skills (hopping, side galloping, vertical jumping and sprinting). Six years later, 244 students had their cardio-respiratory fitness measured by running timed laps. Boys and girls who had good object-control skills (scores of 10 or more out of 15) ran, on average, six laps more than those with poor object-control skills (scores of 5 or lower out of 15).

最近，一项调查研究发现，儿童控制物品（体育用品）的能力强弱与长成青少年后的健康状况之间有着某种联系。该项研究成果发表在了《Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 》（《体育锻炼中的医学与科学》）。调查中，来自新南威尔士、澳大利亚的276名小学生接受了运动能力测验。三组学生训练控制体育用品，如踢球，接球，和肩上投掷等。另四组着重训练肢体技能，如跳跃，侧身跑，垂直跳跃和短跑等。6年后，其中的244名学生接受了心肺功能测试-限时跑。控制体育用品能力强的学生（测验中15分得10分以上者）比差的学生（15分得10分以下者）平均多跑六圈。

Researchers believe that object-control skills are often connected with participation in sports and other activities. Students who are good at these skills might be more likely to engage in recreational or organized sports, upping their fitness levels.

研究人员认为，良好的控制体育用品的能力通常会促使学生更多地参与体育和其他活动中去。擅长这方面技巧的学生参与消遣或正规体育运动的可能性更大，这也提升了他们的体质。

The study concluded that schools and communities should make teaching object-control skills to young children a priority in order to encourage children to continue being physically active later in life.

研究总结到，学校和社区应当把提升孩子的控制体育用品的能力当成头等大事来抓，以便鼓励孩子们在日后继续保持对体育运动的积极性。

Notes:
motor skills:运动技巧
fall prey to: 成为 ... 的牺牲品，深受 ... 之害
sedentary:静态的，久坐的
adolescence：青春期；青少年时期
cardio-respiratory：心肺（功能）的
recreational：休闲的，娱乐的