YOUNG girls with lots of friends are more physically active than those with few, new research has found.
For each friend a child has, she spends an additional 10 minutes being physically active at the weekend, research funded by World Cancer Research Fund and the National Prevention Research Initiative found.
An extra friend was associated with four additional minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
The link between friends and exercise was found only in girls, suggesting stronger friendships than in boys.
Dr Russell Jago, of Bristol University's Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, said: "This information can be used to design strategies to improve activity among children at a crucial stage in their development."
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