Boston Children's fit kit Sedentary Time

Children sit in school for most of the day. Many also spend hours sitting in front of screens doing homework, watching TV, playing video games, or using social media. This is called sedentary time (or sitting-around time).

Today, most kids spend more than seven hours a day sitting. That’s about 50 percent of their waking hours. And about half of kids spend more than two hours a day watching screens for entertainment.

Break your sit streak: Strategies to cut back on sedentary time

Too much sitting can take a toll on your health — but a lot of the sitting kids do can’t be avoided. You can learn more about sedentary time — and strategies to reduce it — by following the links below. Each one includes tips for cutting back on sedentary time and keeping your body moving throughout the day.

Some things kids do while sitting (such as reading, relaxing, and doing homework) are important. But too much sedentary time is bad children’s health, increasing their risk for:

• Weak muscles and bones
• Slower metabolism (the body’s ability to convert food into energy)
• Overweight and obesity
• Chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
• Depression and anxiety
• Shorter life expectancy

Sitting too much differs from not getting enough exercise. Even kids who exercise 60 minutes every day may face health risks if they spend the rest of the day sitting. It’s important to get up and move every hour during the day.

A lot of kids spend most of their leisure time in front of screens: playing video games, watching videos, and scrolling through social media. This is called entertainment screen time, and it has a big effect on kids’ health.

Not only does it make kids less active, too much entertainment screen time can lead to problems such as unhealthy eating and trouble sleeping.