How much activity?

Moderate activity causes an increase in heart rate and breathing; it includes active play in the backyard, skateboarding or a leisurely bike ride. Vigorous activity makes kids ‘huff and puff’; it includes soccer, netball, basketball, ballet, running, swimming laps or more intense bike-riding.

It’s more than just weight

Being active helps avoid weight gain, but there are many other benefits that might be less obvious:

• Healthy growth and development, including strong bones, muscles and lungs
• Meeting new friends and feeling part of the community
• Developing flexibility, balance and coordination
• Reducing stress and promoting relaxation and self-confidence
• Being happy and full of energy.

Turning off the TV

Although many kids are active, there is an increasing number spending a lot of time being inactive. This can cause an energy imbalance – taking in more energy than they expend – often leading to weight gain and associated health risks. Even if your child is underweight or of normal weight, they still need to be active.

It can be difficult to balance activity and school work, so try some of these tips to reduce inactivity:

• Set limits for TV watching – if there is a specific program your child wants to watch, turn the TV off when it is finished (particularly in the day time)
• Set time limits for computer games, internet surfing and online chat, e.g. no more than two hours and not during daylight
• Don’t allow TVs and computers in your child’s bedroom. Keep them in communal areas of the home.

TV, computers and the internet
Part of a survival kit for parents, this factsheet (pdf 158kb) gives good tips for monitoring what and how much TV your child watches and some cyber safety messages (Dept of Community Services).