Raising Children Network: the Australian parenting website
  • Suitable for 1-8Years

Fitness for all ages

By Raising Children Network
 
 

Being physically active can prevent many health problems and give you all sorts of benefits, from a better night's sleep to a happier social life.

Toddler playing with a ball
 

It all starts to take shape in early childhood – all that jumping your toddler does is strengthening bones for a lifetime of use, and all that running around is part of healthy growth and development.

  • Being physically active makes you healthier.
  • When being active is fun, children are more likely to take part.
  • Children who are active from an early age are less likely to become overweight and are more likely to continue to be active.

Getting your child moving is all about fun – for the whole family. If you are all taking part in and enjoying physical activity, it’s much more likely that fitness will stay part of the family routine.

There's another reason for thinking about physical activity. Shifts in lifestyle in recent years mean that we sit down a lot more and walk less; that is, we're more sedentary. Even children. These lifestyle changes have been directly linked to a surge in the number of overweight and obese children, with more than one-quarter of Australian children now overweight or obese. By keeping active, children are less likely to become overweight in the first place or to become overweight during later stages of their life.

 
 
 
  • Last reviewed15-05-2006