Current Australian guidelines say that kids aged 5-12 years need at least one hour (and up to several hours) of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day.
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Moderate activities get your child gently huffing and puffing, and are about as intense as a brisk walk.
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Vigorous activities get your child huffing and puffing a lot, and building up a sweat.
This kind of activity can be enjoyed in small blocks of time, about 5-15 minutes, building up to around two hours over the day.
Physical activity is not necessarily ‘exercise’. Your child doesn’t have to play an organised sport or do push-ups to achieve benefits. Simple activities can include:
- going for walks, or walking to child care or school
- spending time at the playground
- playing in the shallows at the beach
- playing chasey or keepings off in the yard.
Recent studies show that in Australia many boys and most girls aren’t getting enough physical activity every day.
