Getting Kids to be More Active
by Andrea Dietrich , B.Kin., CSEP-CPT Fitness and Training Coordinator, Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba The Participaction Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth 2016 has reported on the overall findings of physical activity in youth in Canada, and some of the results are concerning. Most children and youth in Canada have been found to spend more than the recommended amount of time in sedentary behaviours, do not engage in enough active play, and fall short of certain motor skills associated with physical activity. The good news is that these behaviours are easily modifiable with support from parents and caregivers. How Active Should Kids Be? The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology has created easy to understand guidelines for physical activity for all walks of life. For those children who are 5-11 and 12-17 , the minimum standards are very similar. CSEP recommends a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily, 3 vig