Children ‘exercise less as they get older’

17/07/17

The number of children doing an hour of exercise a day falls by nearly 40% between the ages of five and 12.

Figures suggest that by the final year of primary school, just 17% of pupils are doing the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

A spokesman for Public Health England described the drop in activity levels as “concerning”. More than a third of children in England are overweight by the time they leave primary school.

A new survey from Public Health England and Disney looked at the effects of physical activity on children’s emotional well-being. More than 1,000 children aged five to 11 were questioned, with their parents acknowledging that being active made their children feel happier (79%), more confident (72%), and more sociable (74%).

The survey also found that children’s overall happiness declined with age, with 64% of five-and six-year-olds saying they always felt happy, compared with just 48% of 11-year-olds.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the BBC.