Only One In Eight British Kids Get Enough Exercise
Figures from a recent survey by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) show that only one in eight children, aged eight to thirteen, get enough exercise. The government recommends kids are active for sixty minutes each day.
Experts have suggested that if current trends continue, two-thirds of British kids will be overweight or obese by 2050. Shockingly, the survey of 1,000 children found that a third of them were active for less than an hour a week.
The survey found that, "One in five considered exercise to be 'a chore' and think you only need to do it if you're overweight."
This touches the heart of the problem, children (like many of us adults) no longer view physical activity as something fun.
Encouraging kids to be more active isn't just about keeping them from becoming overweight, as Dr Ian Campbell says, it's vital for their physical development:
Children need to be active to prevent obesity but also to promote healthy growth, bone strength and psychological wellbeing.
So, how can you encourage your kids to be more active? How about:
- Walking or cycling to school.
- Taking a trip to the park or pool instead of to a movie.
- Encouraging them to try out different sports and activities until they find something they enjoy.
- Setting an example yourself, show them that you enjoy exercising, and don't describe your gym visits as a chore.
What are your tips for getting kids to be more active?
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Unplug the TVs, and throw away the video game consoles. Lock down the computers.
As a boy my parents would literally kick us out of the house and lock the door for an afternoon. We'd be forced to find things to do outside which almost always involve lots of calorie burning activities.
ReplyI had video games growing up yet did not get fat. Of course I had a lot of physical activity in school and then later on after school I biked a lot by myself. Nowadays it's considered too dangerous to let kids out by themselves to play.
ReplyBarry- same here. And unless somebody was bleeding profusely or unconscious, there was no unlocking that door and letting us back in!
ReplyMy friends and I ate all kinds of junk and none of us were the least bit fat. As a matter of fact, we were all very thin and tanned, healthy looking....being out riding bikes, running around etc. will do that to a kid. The parents are not doing them any favors letting them sit like lumps in front of video games all day.
And by the way I grew up in the late 70's-early 80's so I'm not talking about growing up before the invention of TV or video games (even if our game of choice was Atari at that time. Ok, now I do sound old I suppose!)
There's too many scary men out there, ooga booga SCARY MEN. You can't let the kids outside to play anymore because of OOGA BOOGA SCARY MEN.
ReplyHeh totally not surprising... British weather is garbage. Lived there for a year and a half, so depressing.
But that doesn't mean in-door activities don't exist. Specially in-door cricket... those was some good times!
ReplyYep, Lisa and Barry, my parents also made us "play outside" any time we had any amount of free time. If the weather was bad, we still went out; we just had to wear our coats and boots. We did all kinds of stuff...riding bikes, having jump-rope competitions, running races, climbing trees, etc. We also ate whatever we wanted and none of us were fat kids. Also, we did have a Nintendo (the old school 8-bit system) but we were only allowed to play it for 30 minutes a day. The games back then weren't as all-encompassing as the ones today, I guess.
Parents need to just let their kids be kids and play outside. Kids are a lot less fragile than you think they are...if they fall off their bikes or fall out of a tree, they aren't going to die. When I tell any of my friends that had really overprotective parents about how we got to play outside as kids, they told me I was SO lucky, lol.
ReplyI can hardly stop my kids from running around outside! I have to chase them some days to get them in for dinner. :) But, in Australia the weather is generally great and being outside is all you feel like doing.
ReplyI agree FJ, I lived in the UK for a year and found the weather terrible. Wouldn't be much fun for kids to get out and about in the UK.
Also in the US/UK were are scared to death of OOGA BOOGA SCARY MEN...
Reply@Kellie and FitJerk
I grew up in the UK and I had no problem getting outside in the British weather as a child, I don't think the weather's the issue here. In fact, I lived in Australia for 2 years and there were days when we couldn't go outside as it was too hot.
I think the problem is the lifestyle our kids have these days, they're not being told to go outside and play, instead they're being set in front of the TV as their babysitter from an early age, and this becomes the norm--I expect the results of this study would be similar in the US or Australia etc.
ReplyI am going to be 52 soon so... yes, I was able to play outside no matter what time of year. I grew up as a kid in the east so all seasons & we played outside in all 4 seasons.
I think now, yes, we have to be more careful but parents can go outside with the children & I really like the "Setting an example yourself, show them that you enjoy exercising, and don't describe your gym visits as a chore." This is with food & just moving & playing. Do it but don't make it a big deal. Make it part of your life as if it is second nature. Parents have to realize that children learn from them.
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