For most children, being active is part of development. Crawling and walking are important physical milestones, and for young children, being on the go is a daily activity.
As children get older, the amount of physical activity they do can start to decrease as other more sedentary activities take over. Recent government reports show that by the age of 13, around 20% of children are sedentary for more than six hours a day. Weekends show a rise in this statistic to around 35% for 13-15-year-olds.
NHS guidelines say that to maintain a basic level of health, children aged 5 to 18 should do at least one hour of physical activity every day, ranging from moderate activity (such as cycling and playground activities) to vigorous activity (such as running) and active sports (like tennis and football), which will get the heart pumping harder. In addition, three days a week, these activities should involve exercises to strengthen muscles, such as gymnastics, rope or tree climbing, exercises for strong bones (running and jumping), games such as hopscotch and skipping with a rope. Muscle strength is necessary for daily activities, and to build and maintain strong bones, regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, and help maintain a healthy weight. Overall, being physically active helps children to feel good!
Reasons to get Kids Moving
- Improves behaviour, self-confidence and social skills
- Improves attention levels and performance at school
- Develops coordination
- Strengthens muscles and bones
- Improves health and fitness
- Maintains healthy weight
- Helps them sleep better
- Improves mood and makes them feel good
Children and young people should do a range of different activities across the week.
Examples include:
- Walking to school or walking the dog
- Playground activities, including jumping, running and catching
- Physical education
- Sports, like football or tennis
- Swimming
- Skipping
- Dancing
- Skateboarding or rollerblading
- Cycling
Plus, activities to strengthen muscles and bones:
Examples include:
- Gymnastics
- Football
- Jumping
- Martial arts
- Resistance exercises with exercise bands, weight machines or handheld weights
- Sit-ups, press-ups and other similar exercises
There are so many different activities that you can make available to your child, and all kids can find some form of exercise that they enjoy. If you can get your child interested in an activity when they’re young, exercise and fitness are more likely to become a habit that lasts for many decades. It’s child’s play!
(ps. You could also join in with them!)
See you next week & see you at the Club soon,
