Karen Stanton Active Families Advisor Sport Bay of Plenty

It is recommended that children and young people aged 5 – 18 years do at least 60 minutes of exercise every day of moderate to vigorous intensity.

Moderate intensity is when your child is breathing slightly faster and is a little warmer than usual; walking or steady cycling are examples of moderate exercise. Vigorous activity is when you child is sweaty and puffed; games like netball and soccer, running or fast cycling are examples of vigorous activity.

The benefits for a child that is physically active are:

• Promotes healthy growth and development
• Improved balance and flexibility
• Improves moods and helps them cope with everyday life stresses
• Improves self-esteem and body image
• Builds confidence, develops social skills and provides opportunities to make friends

The 60 minutes of exercise can be snacked throughout the day in 15 minute lots if preferred.

Active play is an easy way for your child to snack on activity. Games such as hopscotch, hide and seek, 123 home or tag are fun ways to get your child to be active.

Encouraging young people to have more active lifestyles is another easy way to promote activity.

Walking or biking to school, the shops, or the playground instead of driving are good ways to encourage physical activity. Washing the car, helping in the garden or walking the dog are also good examples of having a more active lifestyle.

There are many things parents can do to help get their child more active, such as:

• Encourage them to try a range of different activities
• Be positive about physical activity
• Some children prefer to be active with their friends
• Teach them the importance of taking part in PE and other activities in school
• Be more active as a family – this shows your child that you value physical activity, it makes it more fun and it will help your child build confidence with different activities.
• Buy birthday and Christmas presents that promote activity, e.g. ball, bat, Frisbee, bike, scooter, tramp, skipping rope, boogie board, fishing rod, bubbles, hula hoop or water pistol.
• Try to limit the amount of time your child spends in front of the TV, computer or other screens to two hours a day (don't include school time).

Remember:

It is OK for your child to breathe harder, be flushed, feel warm and feel their heart beat faster during exercise.

There are very few children who are unable to do some form of physical activity – if you are unsure if your child is one of them see your doctor.

Your child does not need to be sporty or belong to a team or a club to be active. Dancing in the lounge to the ‘Wiggles' or ‘One Direction” is excellent exercise.

Most importantly - make physical activity fun!