Being active – community paediatrics advice

What is physical activity?

Physical activity is the movements that our bodies make every day. It is important for all areas of children’s development and helps bones and muscles to grow strong. Physical activity provides benefits to physical and mental health that last from childhood to adulthood.

How active are children meant to be?

Children under the age of five should be active as much of the day as possible (the recommendation is 3 hours). Babies and toddlers should be moving through play and have opportunities to do different activities.

One hour each day should include more intense activity where your child gets hot, red, and out of breath.

How active is my child?

Thinking about now, how much activity does your child do?

What stops your child from being more active?

What could you change in your family to support your child to be more active?

How do I support my child’s activity levels?

• Activities that your family find fun are the best place to start, dancing or playing with a soft ball might be a good option
• Try to increase your own activity levels and take your child with you
• Reduce screen time to increase activity levels

Remember that being active is one of the most important ways to improve health for the future.

Activity helps development of sleep and attention which helps learning and development.

What should I expect from our community paediatric appointment?

Your child will be weighed to see if they are a healthy weight or if they are living with extra weight.

You will be asked about your child’s physical health, development, and their eating habits.

It will be useful if you think about how active your child is before you come and what your concerns are.