A new report has highlighted that today’s children are not active enough. Children as young as two spend much more time playing with ipads, computers and similar gadgets than exercising. UK guidelines recommend that children under 5 years of age should be physically active for a minimum of 3 hours a day. Those between 5 and 15 should be active for a minimum of one hour each day.

The report notes that over 80% of pre-school children do not exercise for  even an hour a day. Some of the reasons for the lack of activity include parents using ipads as modern-day dummies (to keep children entertained).  Children also do less walking and are more likely to be driven between locations. 

The health implications linked with low physical activity in children are numerous. It can affect brain, bone and muscle development. It is also associated with higher rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes.  Children who develop good exercise habits are more likely to maintain these into adulthood and therefore reduce their risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is of particular importance to people of African and African-Caribbean descent who already exhibit high rates of these conditions.  

Parents can encourage physical activity in their children in a variety of ways including short walks and playing traditional physical games.

You can read more about this report and gain tips for increasing physical activity in children here.