Key Facts

There are many benefits of physical activity for children and young people. Evidence demonstrates that the physical fitness and health of children and young people are substantially enhanced by frequent physical activity. The direct health benefits of physical activity for children and young people include:

• Improved cardiovascular and metabolic health;
• Improved cardiorespiratory endurance and muscular fitness;
• Stronger bones;
• More favourable body fat composition;
• Prevention of overweight and obesity; and
• Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.

In addition to the health benefits listed above, childhood physical activity can also improve health in adulthood and improve cognitive skills and academic behaviour and provide opportunities for social interaction, achievement and mental well-being.

Key Physical Activity Statistics for Children and Young People
 

Activity levels:

The percentage of children meeting the 60 minutes a day physical activity guideline based on self report data:

• 32% of boys and 24% of girls aged 2-15 years in England (HSE, 2008)
• 24% of 8–12 year olds in Northern Ireland (Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland, 2005)
• 77% of boys and 64% of girls aged 2-15 years in Scotland (SHS, 2008)
• 41% boys and 30% girls aged 4-15 years in Wales (HSW, 2008)

Physical activity levels tend to decline with age, particularly among girls:

• In England, 35% of girls and 43% of boys achieve 60 minutes a day at 2 years old as compared to 15% of girls and 32% of boys at 15 years (HSE, 2008)
• In Scotland, 60 minutes a day is achieved by 64% of girls and 76% of boys at 2-4 years old and 33% of girls and 62% of boys at 13-15 years (SHS, 2008)

Accelerometry Data:

The HSE collected objective data on physical activity using accelerometers for the first time in 2008. These are likely to be more accurate than subjective, self-reported data although they do have limitations. For England the objective data was very similar to self-reported data:

• 33% of boys and 21% of girls in England achieved 60 minutes a day based on accelerometer use (HSE, 2008)
• Accelerometer data in England showed a significant decrease in activity with age. 51% of boys and 34% of girls aged 4–10 years achieved 60 minutes a day in 2008 , but only 7% of boys and no girls aged 11–15 years did so (HSE, 2008)

National Travel Survey:

• Among children aged 5-10 years, 48% walk to school and 2% cycle.  Fewer young people aged 11-16 years walk to school (40%) but the same percentage cycle (2%). (NTS, 2008)

 Sedentary behaviour

• UK self-report data suggests that the majority of young people have ‘acceptable’ levels of TV viewing, but about one-quarter to one-third watch 4 hours per day or more, levels generally considered excessive (summary of research data)
• Data on computer game playing by young people show more variability, but with up to 60% playing for more than 1 hour/day (summary of research data)
• According to accelerometer data, UK youth appear to spend about 420- 460 minutes per day in sedentary behaviour, which is about 60-65% of measured time (summary of research data).

Key: HSE: Health Survey for England / SHS: Scottish Health Survey / HSW: Health Survey for Wales