How much physical activity does my child need?
Exercise should be encouraged throughout the day for younger children (ages 3 to 5 years).
Older children and adolescents (6-17 years) should exercise for at least 60 minutes a day. This should include muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening exercise at least 3 times a week
Type of Physical Activity
Type of Physical Activity & Examples
Examples
Moderate Aerobics
(strenuous enough to burn 3-6 times as much energy/minute compared to sitting quietly)
Brisk walking, Bicycle riding (plain road), Hiking, swimming, Games that require catching and throwing, (cricket, throw ball, badminton) garden work, housework such as sweeping
Vigorous Aerobics
(strenuous enough to burn > 6 times as much energy/ minute)
Running Bicycle riding (may include hills) ,Games that require running (tag), Jumping rope, Martial arts (Karate, Tae Kwan Do), Sports (Soccer, Basketball, Swimming, Tennis) , Vigorous dancing
https://marathonkids.org/pe-running-games/
Muscle- strengthening
Games such as tug of war push-ups, squats, Climbing rope, tree or playground equipment, Yoga, Resistance exercise using weights, resistance bands and hand held weights (should have supervision initially) https://forkidsplus.com/30-strength-exercises-for-kids/
Bone- strengthening
Hopping, skipping, jumping
Running , Sports that require, jumping or rapid changes in direction
