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Is Your Child Getting Enough Exercise?

Is your child getting enough exercise?

Try the Northern Life Family quiz to give you a basic indication as to whether your child is getting enough exercise. Answer each question and take note of each answer i.e. a, b or c. Total your score at the end to find your result.

1) My child spends

  1. more than 4 hours per day watching TV
  2. 2-4 hours per day watching TV
  3. less than one hour per day watching TV
2) My child takes part in:

  1. an occasional game of football, rounders or other sport
  2. more than one sport or activity in a year
  3. several sports or activities a year
3) Our family plans:

  1. an outdoor activity such as walking, biking, roller skating or outdoor games once a year
  2. an outdoor activity each month
  3. an outdoor activity each week
4) My children walk to school

  1. rarely
  2. 2-3 times per week
  3. every day
5) A present my child would like would be:

  1. a video game
  2. a board game
  3. a bike or skateboard
6) Activities I enjoy most with my child are

  1. watching our favourite TV programme
  2. walking or playing outdoors
  3. taking a long ride, walk to the park or playing races
7) My child sees me or my partner exercising:

  1. once a year
  2. once a month
  3. once a week

Scoring

A answer = 1 point
B answer = 2 points
C answer = 3 points

Results:
6-8 points Your child could do with a lot more exercise. Don’t panic – you simply need to implement a few small changes or adjustments to your child’s routine. See our suggestions below.
9-14 points Your child could still do with extra exercise. Try to add a few more activities to keep up their activity levels.
15-18 points Your child is probably getting enough exercise. Keep up the good work and keep up the encouragement so that he naturally keeps up his activity levels throughout his life.

What to do if your child needs more exercise:

  • Limit video and TV time; these recreations are fine for kids to chill out and have fun but no more than two hours at a time
  • The minute the weather is fine push your child outdoors and have him/her create their own fun for a while – this will inevitably lead to movement of some kind!
  • Encourage you child to run errands for you – taking the trolley back to the supermarket loading place, riding their bike to the post box, walking to a friend’s house. These things all make a difference.
  • Encourage you child to do a sport but if they are not into it – simply play games with them at the weekends. When you are out at a park or in the garden, organise races between family members

Family walk

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