A Dose of Activity

Being physically active has tremendous benefit to both physical health and mental health. So how much physical activities do children need? The recommended level for preschool-aged children (age 3 to 5 years) are that they should be physical active throughout the day and adult caregivers should encourage them to be active when they play. For school aged children and adolescents (age 6 to 17 years), the recommendation is to do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activities each day, including daily aerobic activities (such as walking, running, or any activities that speed up the heart rate); 3 days a week of muscle building activities such as climbing or doing push-ups; and 3 days a week of bone-strengthening activities such as jumping or running.

How to get children to be more active? Below are some recommendations:

· Start at an early age to build an active foundation for active lifestyle.

· Parents set a positive example by leading an active lifestyle

· Build physical activities as part of family’s daily routine.

· Make physical activities fun

· Provide children equipment that encourages physical activities; And always provide protective equipment such as helmets, write pads, or kneed pads for activities such as bicycles, skateboarding etc.