Children - Physical Activity

Physical Activity Recommendations for Children 0 - 5 years

 

Being physically active every day is important for the healthy growth and development of infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

• For infants (birth to one year) physical activity – particularly supervised floor-based play in safe environments – should be encouraged from birth.
  

Before infants begin to crawl, encourage them to be physically active by reaching and grasping, pulling and pushing, moving their head, body and limbs during daily routines, and during supervised floor play, including tummy time. Once infants are mobile, encourage them to be as active as possible in a safe, supervised and nurturing play environment.

• Toddlers (1 to 3 years) & Pre-schoolers (3 to 5 years) should be physically active every day for at least three hours, spread throughout the day.
  

Young children don’t need to do their three hours of physical activity all at once. It can be accumulated throughout the day and can include light activity like standing up, moving around and playing as well as more vigorous activity like running and jumping. Active play is the best way for young children to be physically active.

• Children younger than 2 years of age should not spend any time watching television or using other electronic media (DVDs, computer and other electronic games) and for children 2 to 5 years of age these activities should be limited to less than one hour per day.
  

Television, DVDs and playing computer games usually involve sitting for long periods – time which could be spent playing active games or interacting with others.

• Infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers should not be sedentary, restrained, or kept inactive, for more than one hour at a time, with the exception of sleeping.
  

All children need some ‘down time’ but they are not naturally inactive for long periods of time. Sitting in strollers, highchairs and car seats (restrained) for long periods isn’t good for children’s health and development. Try to take regular breaks on long car trips and walk or pedal for short trips when you can.

Physical Activity Recommendations for 5 - 12 year olds

 

A combination of moderate and vigorous activities for at least 60 minutes a day is recommended.

Examples of moderate activities are a brisk walk, a bike ride or any sort of active play.

More vigorous activities will make kids “huff and puff” and include organised sports such as football and netball, as well as activities such as ballet, running and swimming laps. Children typically accumulate activity in intermittent bursts ranging from a few seconds to several minutes, so any sort of active play will usually include some vigorous activity.

Most importantly, kids need the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities that are fun and suit their interests, skills and abilities. Variety will also offer your child a range of health benefits, experiences and challenges.

Children shouldn't spend more than two hours a day using electronic media for entertainment (eg computer games, TV, internet), particularly during daylight hours.

Physical Activity Recommendations for 12-18 year olds

 

At least 60 minutes of physical activity every day is recommended. This can built up throughout the day with a variety of activities.

Physical activity should be done at moderate to vigorous intensity. There are heaps of fun ways to do it:

• Moderate activities like brisk walking, bike riding with friends, skateboarding and dancing.
• Vigorous activities such as football, netball, soccer, running, swimming laps or training for sport.
• Vigorous activities are those that make you “huff and puff”. For additional health benefits, try to include 20 minutes or more of vigorous activity at least three to four days a week.
  

Try to be active in as many ways as possible. Variety is important in providing a range of fun experiences and challenges and provides an opportunity to learn new skills.

Make the most of each activity in your day. For example, you can walk the dog and replace short car trips with a walk or bike ride.