Exercise for kids health
For very young children, physical activity is a way of life. They seem to have boundless energy and only stop moving when they’re asleep.
As they get older, TV, computer games and other distractions of the ‘push button’ society we live in can mean they don’t get the exercise they perhaps should. Young people of school age should aim for at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Even moderate activity can help maintain children’s overall health by helping to manage their weight, keeping their bones, muscles and joints healthy and even improving their mood and outlook on life.
To begin feeling the benefits, they don’t have to throw themselves into high impact exercise. There are plenty of ways they can stay physically active in normal, day-to-day life, with a bit of help from you:
- Suggest you walk them to their friends’ instead of getting a lift
- Ask them to go to the shops or on other errands
- Get them to tidy their room or the garden
- If you have a dog, ask them to take it out for a walk
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Suggest they get off the school bus early and walk the rest of the way home
If they want to get involved in more structured exercise, check out the local gym or leisure centre. They often have special memberships for under 16s or activity clubs of some kind, especially in the school holidays. While they’re getting fit, they’ll probably make some new friends too.
Read more about kids' nutrition
- The a-z of vitamins and minerals
- Learn about the glycaemic Index
- Healthy food pyramid
- Iron and kids
- Calcium and kids
- Exercise for kids health
- Health and fitness for kids
- Nutrition information panels
- Eating for peak school performance
- Picky eaters
- How much fibre does my child need?
- Why fibre is fabulous
- All about fibre
Ready Set Learn
This article was supplied by the team of Nutritionists at Kellogg's for Kidspot, New Zealand's leading education resource for parents.
