How Much Exercise Should My Child Do?

Last updated on August 13th, 2015 at 05:45 pm

It depends on your child’s age.

Children and young people of all ages should try to minimise the time they spend sitting down. For example:

• being restrained in a pushchair (UK)* or car seat
• watching TV and playing video games
• travelling on a bus or train

Children Under Five

Children under five who can walk unaided should be physically active every day for at least 180 minutes (three hours), spread throughout the day, indoors or out.

If your child is under five, you should encourage them to do:

• Light activity
• More energetic physical activity

Children and Young People Aged 5 to 18

Children and young people aged 5 to 18 should do at least 60 minutes (one hour) of aerobic physical activity every day. This should include a mix of:

• Moderate-intensity activities: this means your child is working hard enough to raise their heart rate and break a sweat
• Vigorous-intensity activities: this means they’re breathing hard and fast, and their heart rate has gone up quite a bit

As part of your child’s 60 or more minutes, they should also do activities that strengthen their muscles and bones.

For examples of activities, see:

• What counts as moderate-intensity aerobic activity?
• What counts as vigorous-intensity aerobic activity?
• What counts as muscle-strengthening activity?
• What counts as bone-strengthening activity?

How you can help your child

You can help by encouraging your child to find activities they enjoy, and by building physical activity into family life. Most children love running around a park or playing in a playground. Live Well has more tips for how to get active with your kids.

Team sports, such as football, basketball and volleyball, can also be great fun. If your child doesn’t like team sports, there are plenty of other activities, such as dance and martial arts. Try the sport quiz to find out what sports might suit you or your child.

Use the Find services directory to find sporting facilities in your area (UK).

Read the answers to more questions about exercise.

Further information:

• What can I do if my child is overweight?
• What is moderate and vigorous exercise?
• Obesity
• Physical activity guidelines for children under five
• Physical activity guidelines for children and young people aged 5-18
• Health and fitness
• Keeping kids active

* or stroller (US)

Shape Up with Family-friendly Fitness Ideas

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 04:02 pm

The mere mention of starting a family-wide fitness routine may send everyone running for cover. But incorporating more physical activity into your family life doesn’t have to be a painful and serious undertaking. Here are three family-friendly fitness moves to get fit and have fun — together.

 Get Hooping

Remember Hula-Hoops? As a kid, you’d twirl those giant plastic rings on your waist, wrists and ankles until you just couldn’t do it anymore. Well, they’ve resurfaced as a hot exercise trend, with hooping classes springing up in gyms across the country. Hooping offers a great workout: It strengthens your core muscles, boosts your balance, and according to the Mayo Clinic, offers a great aerobic workout when you keep it up for 10 minutes.

You don’t even have to take a class to reap the benefits. Numerous DVDs provide a routine (and a soundtrack). You can also create your own. Just buy everyone a hoop (each hoop should reach from the floor to between the user’s waist and chest, according to the American Council of Exercise), crank up your favorite dance music, and have a group twirl-a-thon in the basement or family room. You’ll all have such a blast you won’t even realize you’re exercising.

 Hit the Floor

You used to go to dance clubs, but that fell by the wayside when you had a family. Pick it back up by holding regular dance parties at home. Teens may be too embarrassed to join in, but younger kids will love it. Like hooping, vigorous dancing (e.g., salsa, hip-hop or belly dancing) gives you an aerobic workout – about as much as jogging or cycling. It also improves balance, posture, endurance and flexibility. Step it up a notch and try Zumba, a Brazilian dance-fitness program taught in gyms and dance studios. DVDs and video games can also teach you the moves at home. Note: Zumba’s got some pretty sexy steps, so you may want to make this a girls-only activity!

 Go Ahead and Jump

Prizefighters do it to build strength; kids do it to have fun. That combo makes jumping rope an ideal family fitness activity. Jumping rope for 10 minutes offers the same cardio benefit as jogging an eight-minute mile. It also builds bone-mineral density, muscle endurance and coordination. Ropes cost less than $20; buy at least one for every two family members so you can pair off for team competitions. There’s nothing like a little family-friendly fitness rivalry to keep you motivated!

4 Family Friendly Workouts That Combine Fitness with Fun

Last updated on November 14th, 2018 at 10:38 pm

For those of us busy with family, work and life, our workout routines are often the first to get the pink slip. But they shouldn’t be. In fact, physical activity is important for easing stress, boosting energy levels and warding off chronic diseases.

What’s the solution for fitting it all in? Make workout routines a family affair. You’ll get your heart pumping and your children will also learn healthy habits. In fact, a recent study from Oregon State University found that parents play a pivotal role in whether their kids become active or turn into couch potatoes. And with 17 percent of children currently overweight or obese, it’s especially important teach your little ones about fitness at an early age.

With that in mind, consider my four suggestions to combine workouts with family time. I guarantee you’ll have a blast while working up a sweat!

Family Workout Routine No. 1: Circuit Station

Stuck at home or trapped inside? Create a boot-camp style workout for the whole family: Set up five or six stations of body-weight exercises, such as jumping jacks, push-ups, lunges and squats. Assign each member of the family to a different station and rotate every 15 to 30 seconds.

For an extra push, run a lap around the yard (or house) after each circuit. Cycle through the stations five times. Don’t forget to keep a box of tissues to wipe away the sweat and a bottle of water on hand.

Family Workout Routine No. 2: At the Track

Take advantage of the track at your local middle or high school. Bring a soccer ball for your kids to play with in the center of the track as you walk or run. To ramp up the intensity, do intervals: Alternate between sprinting and walking laps. Are your kids too young to play on their own? Push them in a jogging stroller.

Family Workout Routine No. 3: Dance Party

Get your heart pumping with some fast-paced tunes! Put on your favorite workout music and start dancing with your kids. You’ll burn up to 330 calories an hour, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not sure how to get your groove going? Try a dance workout DVD or an interactive video game.

Family Workout Routine No. 4: At the Playground

Don’t stay on the sidelines — join in on the fun! Race your kids up and down the steps and slide, or bring a jump rope and let your kids count while you skip. Make sure to bring a pack of to-go tissues to clean off dirt and wipe up the sweat.

You can also turn the playground into your personal gym with these moves:

• Walking lunges: Start in a standing position with your feet together. Step forward with your right leg. Bend both knees, lowering your hips to the ground. Your right knee should be directly over your ankle with your left knee facing the ground. Push up with your left foot and return back to the starting position. Repeat, leading with your left leg. For an extra challenge, carry one of your children as you lunge.
• Monkey bar pull-ups: If you can’t quite do a full pull-up, just hang in there. Hold the pull-up position — with your chin above the bar — and count backward from 10. Repeat three times.
• Decline push-ups: Place your toes on the edge of the slide and plant your palms on the ground. Bend your elbows and lower until your face is a few inches from the ground. Do two sets of 10.
• Step-ups on a bench: Do 20 step-ups with your right leg, followed by 20 with your left leg.
• Triceps dips: Begin sitting on a bench, with your hands next to or slightly beneath your hips. Lift up onto your hands, bringing your hips forward and off the bench. Bend your elbows (no more than 90 degrees) and lower your hips down. Push back up. Avoid locking your elbows and keep your shoulders down. Do three sets of 15.

7 Ways to Sneak in Family Fitness

Last updated on March 3rd, 2018 at 11:25 am

We’ve all heard about the alarming rise in obesity in this country, but more widespread is the epidemic of “couch-potatoitis” that affects even those who aren’t overweight. Americans have become increasingly sedentary, spending their free time on things that involve no physical activity: video games, movies and TV, the Internet.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention recommends 30 minutes of moderate activity a day for adults and 60 for kids. But you don’t have to put your family members on a strict fitness regimen to boost their exercise quotient. Here are seven fun ways to get everyone up and moving.

1. Step it up.

Start a campaign to see which family member can take the most steps per day. The recommended number for adults is 10,000, but kids should do twice that amount. Buy everyone a pedometer (you can get them for under $10) and a small notepad to record where they walk and how many steps it took. Compare notes at dinner. You can hold contests or make a guessing game out of it: How many steps does it take to get from the kitchen to the laundry room and back?

2. Play games.

The next time you have a family game night, leave Monopoly on the shelf and grab Twister instead. Games don’t have to be sit-down affairs. Go for a round of Wii boxing or play a machine-dance game.

3. Be a citizen scientist.

Ever go out and record the colors of courting pigeons in your area? Or count the number of squirrels in your neighborhood? Through citizen science programs, your family members can become untrained “researchers” for a number of ongoing science studies, many of which involve outdoor activity. Visit the Science for Citizens website to see which programs are looking for volunteers.

4. Do the moonwalk.

Strolling around the neighborhood during the day is nothing special. Do it at night, and it’s an adventure. After dinner, grab a flashlight and hit the pavement for 30 minutes of walking, talking and stargazing. Be sure to return at least an hour before bedtime or nobody will be able to fall asleep!

5. Get handy.

Find a big project that everyone can participate in. Build a tree house, cut and haul firewood, paint a room, restore a piece of furniture. All that activity – sawing, hammering, scraping, sanding – is good exercise. Just don’t call it work.

6. Play tourist.

See your hometown or nearby city like a visitor would: Take a guided walking tour, visit the zoo, play in the park or go on a hike. Being a tourist always involves walking and physical activity, but it doesn’t have to include travel.

7. Create an obstacle course.

Making an obstacle course indoors or out with household items provides two workouts in one: First, you run around snatching up materials (cushions, shoes, sports equipment, garden tools, etc.), and then you run around the course. Your kids will be too busy laughing to realize how much exercise they’re getting … which is what family fitness should be about.

BAM! Body and Mind: Making health education fun for kids

Last updated on March 28th, 2018 at 11:52 pm

 As parents, we know it is important for kids to learn about health, wellness, and how their bodies work so they can lead healthy lives as kids and as adults. Schools usually include some health education into their curriculum but parents still have a responsibility to provide further instruction. The challenge lies in how to do that in a fun, engaging way so kids actively learn the information and can then actually apply what they learn. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has created an online educational website devoted to helping parents and educators teach health education in just such a way.

The CDC’s website for kids ages 9-13 years old is named BAM! Body and Mind and according to the website’s description:

“gives them the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices. The site focuses on topics that kids told us are important to them — such as stress and physical fitness — using kid-friendly lingo, games, quizzes, and other interactive features.

BAM! Body and Mind also serves as an aid to teachers, providing them with interactive, educational, and fun activities that are linked to the national education standards for science and health.“

Using BAM!, kids can learn about various diseases, food and nutrition, physical activity and fitness, safety, how bodies work, and how to handle emotions and stress. One of the coolest features is the KABAM! Comic Creator which allows the user to make choices for the characters in the comic and solve problems the characters are facing, such as peer pressure and bullying. This interactive tool puts the user in control and helps kids learn how to make smart and safe decisions and learn problem-solving skills.

BAM! also allows kids a place to tell the CDC what they want to learn about on the site and their suggestions for improving the site. Kudos to the Centers for Disease Control for designing this excellent online learning tool for kids, parents, and teachers.

Wii helps special needs kids get exercise

Last updated on March 3rd, 2018 at 01:18 pm

Video games get a bad rap from most experts, but now there may be a few reasons to let your kids play Wii.  A recent study from the University of Oklahoma showed that active video games like Wii boxing or Dance Dance Revolution get kids as active as if they were taking a walk.  Plus in many parts of the country  most playgrounds – even the universally accessible ones – are just too hot to visit in the summer once it gets near lunch time.

Britt Collins, an occupational therapist, has come out in support of the Wii gaming system as a form of exercise for special needs kids. Britt told the June 2010 issue of Parents magazine that the Wii can help special needs children elevate their heart rate while also working on skills such as timing and visual and motor coordination.

Britt’s top picks for the Wii are:

Wii Sports – a child in a wheelchair can bowl or swing a virtual baseball bat with one arm.

Wii Fit – standing alone or with support, a child can master challenges like heading a soccer ball

We Ski – standing or sitting on a Wii balance board and shifting their weight helps build core strength and upper/lower body coordination

Raving Rabbids – combines the balance board with controllers and helps perceptual skills
Britt Collins is the cocreator of the DVD series TRP Wellness, which includes her video OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, SPECIAL NEEDS & TYPICAL with Britt Collins.

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