Physical Activity is a broad term that describes bodily movement, posture and balance. All require energy. It includes all forms of physical education, sports, swimming and dance activities. However, it is wider than this, as it also includes indoor and outdoor play, outdoor and adventurous activities, active travel (e.g. walking and cycling) and routine habitual activities like climbing the stairs.
How much physical activity should children and young people aged 5 to 18 do to keep healthy?
Children and young people need to do 2 types of physical activity each week:
- aerobic exercise
- exercises to strengthen their muscles and bones
Children and young people aged 5 to 18 should:
- aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity a day across the week
- take part in a variety of types and intensities of physical activity across the week to develop movement skills, muscles and bones
- reduce the time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity. Aim to spread activity throughout the day
As part of our commitment to raising physical activity levels, NPCAT Sport encourages every school to follow or adapt our monthly active calendar.
