Fitness Programmes for Children

Guidelines on the amount of physical activity for children:

Physical activities for children can be undertaken as part of recreation and leisure (play, games, sports or planned exercise), physical education, transportation (walking and cycling) or household chores, in the context of educational, home, and community settings.

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They should do at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, mostly aerobic, across the week.

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Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, as well as those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least 3 days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.

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They should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary, particularly the amount of recreational screen time (e.g. watching TV and playing video games).

Remark:

"Physical activities of moderate-intensity" are those which will slightly speed up breathing and heart rates, and cause mild sweating but not so intense as to cause fatigue.

"Physical activities of vigorous-intensity" are those which will greatly speed up breathing and heart rates, and cause profuse sweating and fatigue.

Reference: WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour, Geneva World Health Organization, 2020

Physical activity and energy expenditure

Take a child aged around 10 years old weighing about 40 kg for example. The energy expended in performing the following physical activities for 30 minutes are as follows:

Item	Physical Activity	Energy Expended (kcal)
1	Mini-tennis	170
2	Volleyball	100
3	Basketball	200
4	Badminton	110
5	Slow Long-distance Swimming	200
6	Cycling	150
7	Running/ Jogging	200
8	Rope Skipping	200
9	Dancing	130
10	Gymnastics	100
11	Aerobic Dancing	150
12	Walking	90
13	Stair Climbing	170

Remark : The information shown above is for reference only. The actual amount of energy expended may vary with age, gender, physical fitness, skill level and intensity of the activity.

Reference :

J. S. Harrell, R. G. Mcmurray, C. D. Baggett, M. L. Pennell, P. F. Pearce, and S. I. Bangdiwala, Energy Costs of Physical Activities in Children and Adolescents, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
K. Ridley, B. E. Ainsworth and T. S. Olds, Development of a Compendium of Energy Expenditures for Youth, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, BioMed Central Ltd.

To lead an active and healthy lifestyle:

To foster a family culture of regular exercise and adopt a healthy lifestyle, parents should set a good example and do some exercise together with their children. The following activities are suitable for doing with children:

Take a fitness walk after meals.

Play more parent-child games and do more physical activities and circuit training at home; reduce TV or screen time.

Get off the vehicle one or two stops earlier; take a walk instead of a vehicle ride for short journeys; take the stairs instead of the lift more often.

Play table tennis and badminton in sports centres or go running in sports grounds on holidays.

Go cycling, kite flying or hiking on weekends.

Participate in school or community activities more often, such as sports days, carnivals and fun days.