This breakdown of the new physical activity guidelines is be on a more accessible format on the podcast. I’m going to break this up into 2 posts: this first one focuses on children 0 – age 17
To start, let’s note that these guidelines are for all healthy children. It doesn’t matter if they are boys or girls, and it doesn’t matter about the child’s family or cultural background. Children with a disability or certain medical conditions may have other advice from their specialist team that is specific to them.
Let’s Start with Ages 0 – 5: Why Move?
Being active with your child is a great way to bond and spend quality time with them.
Being active is good for body and brain development and mental and physical health.
In general, an active child is a happy and healthy child.
Under 1 years
At this age, it’s all about playing on the floor – the more the better!
If babies who aren’t crawling yet, try to include 30 minutes of tummy time a day while they are awake – you can break this up into several different session. .
The recommendations are to not secure your baby in a buggy/pram, high chair or other seat, formore than 1 hour at a time while they are awake if possible. They need and want to move!
While experts do know that screen time can sometimes be helpful to parents, but when your baby is not being physically active, they will benefit more from activities such as playing with toys or engaging in reading or storytelling with a caregiver if possible.
My note: Toys for Babies
Toys for Babies
Toys for infants can be expensive, and not always as necessary as you think. My first was gifted lots of beautiful toys from the family – yet his favourite “toy” for a few months was a wooden spoon. And that’s really common: plastic or cardboard containers and kitchen tools that are not sharp are popular “toys”. Exploring grabbing and touching household objects from your slipper to a lemon to the TV remote is fun. Is it safe? Remember that children under 3 can choke. If you aren’t sure, check to see if the object – or part of the object if there is any chance it can detach – fits through a toilet roll tube. If it is small enough to fit, it is small enough to choke your child. Remember that baby walkers with wheels are never recommended. They do not encourage babies to walk sooner nor do they help strengthen muscles but have been the cause of multiple tragic accidents and are banned in many places globally.
1 – 5 years
Are you ready for this? Children this age need to spend at least 3 hours – it can be doing lots of different types of play and movement, some of it with more effort than others, spread throughout the day. Sound like a lot? If you have a child this age, you probably already know they definitely have the energy for this!
Play With Me!
“Play with Me” is how your child says “I love you” or “spend time with me” or “I need some time with you.” Play isn’t just play for children – it’s work, development, learning, communication, problem solving, resilience-building….and so much more! None of that can be done with a screen. One of the concerns that is common in families that I work with: “I can’t keep up with my kids” It can be challenging if parents or caregivers struggle to get down on the floor to play with children or to keep up as they run or toddle ahead while out and about exploring their world.. If you are struggling due to your own health concerns, or struggling to build healthy habits for yourself, do ask for help.
Play With Me!
“Play with Me” is how your child says “I love you” or “spend time with me” or “I need some time with you.” Play isn’t just play for children – it’s work, development, learning, communication, problem solving, resilience-building….and so much more! None of that can be done with a screen. One of the concerns that is common in families that I work with: “I can’t keep up with my kids” It can be challenging if parents or caregivers struggle to get down on the floor to play with children or to keep up as they run or toddle ahead while out and about exploring their world.. If you are struggling due to your own health concerns, or struggling to build healthy habits for yourself, do ask for help.
Experts recommend that children are not secured at this age for more than 1 hour at a time (prams/strollers, high chairs, or strapped on a caregiver’s back). For 1-year-olds, sedentary (sitting, not moving) screen time (such as watching TV or videos, playing computer games) is not recommended. After 24 months, screen time should be less than 1 hour (less is better). When sedentary, engaging in reading and storytelling with a caregiver is encouraged. Experts know that screens can be helpful for parents, but playing with toys or other activities is healthier option at this age.
The Playground
I love the playground and have written in this blog before how to get the most out of it for families. Note: Keep your child on the activities that they can do. Many features in playgrounds are for pre-school ages with a separate area for school-age children. Do not “help” your toddler or pre-schooler to climb a feature that is clearly too big and not designed for their age: it leads to frustration and potential risk of injury. Many playgrounds will even signpost the age recommendation for larger rock walls or slides.
But what do I do without screens on a rainy day?
You need a plan because we live in Ireland – it’s going to rain. Before you switch on the TV, have a plan:
Splash walk. Get the child’s boots and waterproof coat and go for a walk. Challenge them to jump in as many puddles as possible.
Just grab your coat and get out for a walk anyway. We aren’t sugar; we won’t melt.
Blow up a balloon. Create games including “keepy-uppy”, batting it with a paper towel roll, “volleyball” over a clothes airer/couch, or “basketball” getting into a laundry basket.
Dance party. No idea where to find music? Download Alexa app (free). Ask Alexa to play “Disney” music or “Disney Princesses” Dance away. Dress up optional.
Soft ball in the house. If you have a little space, setting up empty plastic bottles – all those waiting for return/recycle – at the end of the hall and “bowl” them over. Encourage the children to run down and set them back up themselves.
Build a fort with cushions, pillows, blankets. (lots of stretching, lifting, crawling!)
Run toys cars up and down the hallway. Lots of crawling and chasing.
Ages 5 – 17
Wait – why is my teenager included here? Did you know: your 16 and 17 year old teen may start looking more like an adult – and many definitely feel like an adult. However, it’s important for parents to remember that mentally and physically, there is still important growth and development that needs to happen!
It is recommended that:
Children and teens need at least an 1 hour per day of moderate- to vigorous- intensity, mostly aerobic, physical activity. This can be averaged across the week (they have a really busy day at sports on Saturday, for example, they might do less the following Sunday).
Vigorous-intensity aerobic activities (vigorous means they are breathing hard enough that they struggle to have a conversation comfortably – they should be a bit breathless from working hard!) should be at least 3 days a week, and we want to include activities that strengthen growing muscles and bones.
Points for Parents:
Being physically active with their friends is a great way for your child to spend time with them.
Moving their body makes them feel good.
Physical activity can help improve their mental health and sleep, make them feel calmer, and less stressed.
Experts recommend trying to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting still for long periods of time, particularly if this time is spent on a screen.
What About Screens and Teens?
Remember that screen time is now known to be addictive, so asking your child to regulate their own use — when many adults struggle to do so — is not fair on them. Set limits, and enforce limits. It will be slow and difficult to make online platforms accountable. Even if TikTok is regulated, another platform can emerge tomorrow. Ultimately, parents have the essential – if often unpleasant – task of taking responsibility for their children and teens online use. When it comes to health in general, know what content your child or teen is consuming. This isn’t about trusting your child/teen – it’s about trusting the entire world who now has access to target your child with misleading information, including content that promotes self-harm, substance use (including vaping, nicotine, cannabis), body image problems, unrealistic ideas regarding sex and consent, dangerous “trends”, disordered eating, sexting. Depression and anxiety have been directly linked to children and teens social media and online content use. I written elsewhere in this blog about healthy guidelines for screens.
If You Let Me Play
The significant drop out rate – higher than girls than boys – is a problem. As children enter secondary school, they start to drop out of all sports. Many children, more girls than boys, start to feel self-conscious or are labeled as “not sporty” as early as age 13 -15. It may take extra effort as a parent or in your community to find activities to keep your teen active, healthy, and happy. Get creative: if the uniform is the problem, can you make a local change? If they are struggling in football, do they want to go back to dance classes? Try a new sport? Join a gym that has “teen hours”? Join a new club? Start a new hobby as a family – or return to one that you used to do? Does the school have a sport programme that just needs a little help to get going? But it is that important. Read more:
Note on Children and Teens with Chronic health conditions or living with a disability
Experts recommend that children and adolescents living with disability should do at least an average of 1 hour per day of moderate-to vigorous- intensity, mostly aerobic, physical activity, across the week. Vigorous-intensity aerobic activities, as well as those that strengthen muscle and bone should be incorporated at least 3 days a week.
For some children and adolescents with certain disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy) a reduced level of physical activity may be enough because of their higher energy cost of physical activity.
Expert recommend:
Children and adolescents living with disability should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary, particularly the amount of recreational screen time.
0 Comments