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Why Exercise is Important for Children: building healthy habits for life

As parents, caregivers, and educators, we all know that encouraging children to be active is crucial for their health and well-being. But in today’s digital age, with screens and sedentary activities dominating children’s free time, promoting physical activity has become more important than ever. Regular exercise not only supports physical health but also contributes to emotional, mental, and social development.

The benefits for exercise for children

Exercise is essential for children, not just for physical health, but also for mental and emotional development. Encouraging kids to be active from an early age helps them build a strong foundation for a healthy lifestyle that can carry into adulthood. Physical activity offers numerous benefits for children, including:

  • Helps to build strong bones, muscles, joints and boosts the immune systems
  • Increases confidence, promotes a positive mental health and reduces stress and anxiety
  • Promotes healthy growth and development
  • Improves coordination and motor skills and boosts energy
  • Improves mood, focus and attention
  • Improves communication skills and promotes teamwork
  • Reduces the risk of developing or helps manage conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Whether it’s playing sports, dancing, swimming, or simply running around outside, the benefits of exercise for kids are vast and contribute to their overall well-being and growth. Encouraging children to participate in regular physical activity creates healthy habits for life, preventing sedentary behaviour and promoting a lifelong love of fitness

The importance of exercise for mental health for children

Children and adolescents with good mental health are able to think clearer, develop emotionally, learn healthy social skills and develop the resilience to cope with problems that may arise. This helps children to experience a greater quality of life, and function well in different environments including their home, school and local communities. Unfortunately, in todays world, almost 1 in 7 children and adolescents aged 4-17 have experienced a mental health disorder in the previous 12 months. The most common mental health disorders being attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD (7.4%), anxiety disorders (6.9%), major depressive disorder (2.8%) and conduct disorder (2.1%).

Along with improving children’s physical health, regular exercise also improves their cognition, brain development and function, which improves mental health. Research in physical activity and brain health for children and adolescents indicates that exercise plays an important role in preventing and reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, by helping with stress management, and improving self-esteem. Additionally, there is some evidence that children who participate in regular exercise at a young age may experience decreased rates of anxiety and depression in childhood and adolescence.

Some additional benefits of exercise for mental health, include:

  • Improved focus, school performance, sleep and energy levels
  • Improved relationships, social skills and more positive body image
  • Decreasing symptoms of depression, anxiety, pain and loneliness
  • Improved ability to cope with stress and have increased resilience
  • Increased self-esteem and self-worth
How much Physical activity is recommended?

The Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary behaviour guidelines recommend different levels of activity depending on the age of the child.

For children aged 2-4 who are not in school, the guidelines recommend:

  • At least 180 minutes of a day of physical activity, including energetic play
  • No more than 60 minutes of screen-based activity

For children aged 5-12. And 13-17, the guidelines recommend:

  • At least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous. Intensity physical activity
  • No more than 2 hours a day of screen-based activity for entertainment (e.g. watching TV, playing computer games, etc.)

A recent study showed that only 23% of children aged 5-14 participated in the recommended levels of physical activity per day. This study also found that on average, children aged 5-14 spent more than 2 hours per day sitting or lying down for screen-based activities and children aged 2-4 spent approximately 83 minutes in front of screens. This increased screen time can have negative impacts on a child’s health and physical fitness, sleep patterns, social skills emotional wellbeing and even decrease family interaction. Encouraging a healthy balance between screens and movement can help children develop lifelong habits of both physical activity and responsible screen use.

What can you do to help your kids become more active?

Encouraging kids to be more active can be both fun and rewarding. There are many ways parents can help foster a love for physical activity, which not only benefits their health but also helps them develop important skills and habits. Here are some strategies:

  • Find something they enjoy: Whether its swimming, playing football or running at the park, enjoyment of exercise is important to build a positive exercise experience and can help improve motivation.
  • Get the whole family involved: Parents and guardians are great role models and provide the needed support for children to get involved in regular exercise. Organising active family outings such as a walk around the neighbourhood or a bike ride is a great way to increase physical activity levels and explore the local community.
  • Keep track of what works: Different types of exercise can feel different to each child. Competitive sports may increase mental distress in some children, so involvement in non-competitive sports such as martial arts or skateboarding might be a better option. Other children may thrive in social situations so team sports that they enjoy are ideal to build fitness and friendships. Just remember every child is different and they change over time, but if they are not enjoying or engaging in physical activities then explore other strategies to get them moving.

By integrating physical activity into everyday routines and creating a supportive and fun environment, parents can help kids develop a lasting habit of being active. The key is to make movement enjoyable and a natural part of life rather than something to be forced. Whether through play, sports, or family activities, finding ways to stay active together strengthens both physical health and family bonds.

The main take away

Exercise and physical activity can involve anything from dance parties, to playing sport or even riding a bike to school. This plays a critical role in a child’s development, from building physical strength, to boosting emotional well-being and social skills. By making physical activity a priority and offering opportunities for kids to get moving, we help them develop a strong foundation for a healthy and active life. The key is to make exercise fun, engaging, and something they look forward to, so that it becomes a habit they carry with them as they grow.

So encourage your kids to get outside, move their bodies, and most importantly, enjoy the process. The benefits of exercise will last a lifetime, not just for their health, but for their happiness and success in every area of life. If you need any further advice, come and see one of our Accredited Exercise Physiologists here at Move, who can provide some strategies and even create an individualised program to help you and your child become more physically active.

Resources

For more information and some more tips for helping your kids become more active, check out ESSA’s resource on Exercise for kids: https://exerciseright.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kids-eBook_2020-new-branding.pdf

You can also check out the Physical activity and exercise guidelines for all Australians by following the link below: https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians?utm_source=health.gov.au&utm_medium=callout-auto-custom&utm_campaign=digital_transformation

References

Written By Emily Scutter