Quiz: How much exercise time do kids need?

Do your kids exercise enough? The emphasis here is ‘need’—as not many parents pay attention to how much exercise their kids need on a daily basis. Find out what the education ministry recommends.

How often do your kids exercise?

Drum roll for that magic number please…

60 minutes—that is the time your kid needs to spend exercising on a daily basis. Why? This will help increase your kid’s physical strength, which is at a very low level in Singapore.

Based on a study done by Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, we discover that the athletic ability and physical strength of kids that are above primary school level has been on a decline since 1985. This is believed to be due to lack of exercise during childhood. That is why kids exercise is so essential!

Watch kids Zumba

Correlation of athletic ability and exercise

It is no surprise that active children who play more have better athletic capabilities—as shown by results.

According to an associate professor at Tokyo Gakugei University, Izumi Yoshida, modern conveniences are somewhat responsible for the decreasing strength of the child. Make sure you get your kids off the couch and onto the field, playground and outdoors. They should not be glued to any screen—be it TV, iPad or smartphones.

Kids exercise and how to do it

Here are some ideas to get that kid active and sweating. Keep their pulses racing and heart thumping by incorporating these ideas to get them on their feet!

Watch Fit Factor kids exercise

Kids exercise in virtual games

If you have a difficult kid who refuses to go outdoors or has an “allergy” to daylight then worry not. Think Wii and Kinect—there are plenty of games they can play on the Xbox or Nintendo. How about a family game of tennis, or an obstacle course that you can do in your own home? Oh, your kid can learn funky dance steps with dance games too.

Lead by example

Don’t expect them to exercise if you are a couch potato too! Get up, jog, go to the gym, or go for an evening walk with the family. Do something to get sweating.

Enroll them in a class

Be it a dance class, tennis class or a martial arts class—make sure your kids are active often.

The more the merrier

Get their friends to join in the fun. When you have a few kids gathered, make them play outdoors. There is no limit to what physical activity they can enjoy.

Kids exercise ideas : The Workout Kid

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Written by

Felicia Chin

healthy kidskids exercise