Heidi Lichtwark Chief Executive Officer Sport Bay of Plenty

Last week some positive research was released about the levels of activity in our children, showing Kiwi youngsters are more active than most.

The international report on physical activity in children ranked New Zealand first-equal for overall physical activity.

This is great news for the future of New Zealand – active children are more likely to be healthy and happy – and here in the bay of Plenty, we know what a wonderful outdoor playground environment we have for children.

The report, which compared 15 countries on nine key indicators of physical activity, scored NZ children top in overall activity but levels of sedentary behaviour and screen-time were high, as were the number of children not participating in active transport, like walking and cycling.

This is emphasised by Dr Ralph Maddison, associate professor at the University of Auckland's National Institute for Health Innovation.

'From our findings it's apparent that initiatives are needed to support active transportation,” says Ralph.

The challenge seems to be keeping children involved in sport and recreation activities as they get older – when screens and other sedentary options become more popular.

In addition, we need to consider ways to build movement into everyday life.

As someone who works in the sport and recreation sector, and a parent, it made me think about how important role modelling and being innovative can be.

In the BOP, we have lots of opportunities for walking and cycling to and from school.

Yet, with time limitations for parents and concerns about safety, walking and cycling are often not favoured.

There are many safe ways to encourage small amounts of active transport, such as dropping children close to school at a safe walking distance or organising groups in walking schools buses.

It does take some planning and arranging, but the benefits are significant.

This report shows we are still a sporty country and Kiwi children do get involved in sport and recreation from a young age.

We need to harness this into being active for life, and look for ways to reduce the impact of screen time.

We know being involved in sport and recreation creates transferable skills – team work, cooperation and communication and it helps deal with conflict in a productive manner.

We think that's worth making an extra effort for.