How Much Exercise Does A Child Needs To Stay Fit?

Most parents are unaware about the amount of time their children needs to spend on physical activities for staying healthy, a research revealed.

The survey conducted by YouGov focussed on 2,000 adults. It found that over two-third of the participants did not have any idea about the amount of exercise their kids need to do for leading a healthy lifestyle.

The research that was done for the Youth Sport Trust (YST) revealed that only less than a quarter of participants knew the National Health Service (NHS) recommendation to exercise for an hour a day to stay fit. Average number of participants thought that children between the age group of five to 18 do not need to spend more than 46 minutes on physical activities.

So, many of the parents encouraged their children to focus on exam preparation rather than taking time out for physical education lessons, a last year’s report stated.

Last year’s report from Sport England also highlighted the decline in physical activities among children. The report revealed that only 17 percent of kids are exercising for an hour a day.

The Survey also found that the amount of time children spend on physical activity depends on their economic background. While 26 percent of kids from rich families are physically active for more than 30 minutes a day, 39 percent of children from poorest families are not even spending half an hour a day on physical activities.

“We’ve seen a worrying trend in recent years of a decline in young people’s physical activity, and a squeeze on time allocated to good quality physical education,” The Guardian quoted YST chief executive Ali Oliver.

Runner Ben Smith, who is known for completing 401 marathons in 401 days in 2016, said everybody should try to enjoy sports at least once in their lives. It helps an individual building an overall physical and mental wellbeing.

“My experience of PE at school was scary. I felt like I wasn’t good enough, like I would never fit in, that I wouldn’t enjoy it and I put so many barriers in place as an excuse not to exercise. Having found sport later in life, I can now see the power it has not only to build a person’s soul but also the benefits it has on confidence, self-esteem and our overall mental wellbeing. It’s vitally important that every young person has opportunity to enjoy what sport has to offer,” he said.