Physical Activity

Why Be Active?

Regular physical  activity is essential for good health.  Worryingly, most children in Ireland and the UK do not get enough exercise! 

If children are not physically active, they have an increased risk for a range of serious illnesses. Many of the most significant modern diseases take many years to develop. Heart disease doesn't happen overnight, it is the end result of a lifetime of bad habits...and this process begins in childhood. According to the World Health Organisation, physical activity reduces risk for the following diseases:

Why Children?

Even though heart attack and stroke are rare in children, evidence shows that the processes leading to these conditions begin in childhood. Inactive children, when compared with active children, weigh more, have higher blood pressure and have lower levels of heart-protective "good" cholesterol. In addition, active children are more likely to become active adults...and this will reduce their risk for all of the above diseases.

How Much Exercise?

Children and adolescents should get at least one hour of physical activity on most days of the week, preferably on a daily basis.

Any type of moderate or higher intensity exercise is suitable for children. This one-hour target doesn't mean that children need to do one hour of sport per day, because all kinds of activities contribute to the total. For example, the following activities all count as exercise:

Walking to school and being active in the playground and at home can make a significant contribution to a child's activity levels. Children who meet these physical activity targets will benefit from:

What Kind of Activity Counts?

Anything that gets you moving and your heart racing counts as appropriate physical activity. It could be something as simple as a regular walk around the block with friends.

Is Sport the Only Solution?

Playing sport regularly is an excellent way for children to be active. However, if children don’t like the competitive aspect of traditional sports, there are lots of other ways to be active. Walking, cycling or hobbies such as dancing and surfing are excellent ways for children and young people to be active.

Schools can help children to be more active by offering alternative activities such as hip-hop dance, tae-kwon-do, step aerobics etc.

It is crucial that children should take part in activities that interest them - otherwise the activity habit will not last. Contact RedBranch and we will do our best to source alternative physical activity ideas in your area.

Tips For parents

Try to integrate physical activity into daily family life, and set time aside for family activities. Children benefit from meaningful relationships with their parents, and many of the following ideas will provide positive shared experiences for parents and children, as well as all the benefits of regular physical activity.

Children who are currently inactive and starting to increase their level of physical activity should begin slowly. The aim should be to gradually build up the intensity and volume of exercise.

Activities for Friends and Family

Why not try the following ideas:

Stress Relief

Exercise can be used as a tool for managing stress. If children feel stressed, an exercise bout can be a great way of chilling out and getting some perspective. There is evidence to suggest that regular exercise breaks can help improve performance in children. This could be something as simple as a brief 5 minute active break (possibly a walk or some light stretching) every 15 minutes during study.

Exercise and Academic Performance

A recent American study found that children who participate in vigorous physical activity tend to have higher academic grades than children who are less active. The most physically active students performed on average 10% better on core Maths, science and English tests than their sedentary counterparts. The study found that simply doing PE did not by itself raise grades, and that taking part in vigorous activity at least 3 times per week was associated with the best academic performance. Vigorous activity includes sports (like football, hurling, camogie, soccer & rugby) as well as non-standard activities like skateboarding and dance.

Physical Activity and Adults

Parents are incredibly important role models for their children. When parents are active, children get the message and tend to be active as well. If parents watch TV for hours, we shouldn't be surprised if children follow suit.

In addition, adults can benefit from all of the health benefits associated with regular physical activity...reduced risk for certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, obesity and depression.

40% of all deaths in Ireland are caused by heart disease/stroke. The World Health Organisation reckon that being active is one of the most important ways to prevent heart disease. Physical activity could save your life!

Active parent, active child. Research has shown that children with physically active parents are more physically active themselves.

Regular physical activity can be a great way to congregate and is a perfect way of bonding with family and friends.

Hip Hop Dance at school can be a great way of helping students to participate in physical activity. Dance is often a great activity for students with no interest in traditional sport.

Active toys are a great way to encourage children to be more active. Instead of buying a TV or Playstation for your child's bedroom, invest in their health and development with toys that keep them active.

Walking or cycling to work or school can be a great way to get activity into daily life. If you use the bus, why not get off a few stops early and walk the rest of the way?