Now that you know how too much sitting is bad for kids’ health, what can you and your family do about it?
You don’t have to work up a sweat. Simply standing up and moving around at least once every hour will keep you and your kids healthier.
Here are four ways kids and teens can spend less time sitting and add physical activity to their day. Think of these as sitting-stoppers.
Get up and move every so often during long periods of sitting. For example, take a break from homework every hour to stand up, stretch, and march in place.
Work physical activity into your daily life and get things done at the same time. For example, go grocery shopping with a parent and offer to carry the bags.
Use your own body to get from one place to another. For instance, walk to school or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Plan fun physical activities during your free time. For example, take a walk with friends or play a sport.
Which of these activities could your kids do this week? What are some other things they could do?
Adding more movement to your day is easier than you think. Try these fun activities to get your whole family moving!
How many steps would it take to climb Mount Everest, hike the Grand Canyon, or finish the Boston Marathon? Choose one of the step challenges below to find out. Once you’ve decided on a virtual adventure, challenge yourself to walk about 12,000 steps a day and see if you can go the distance.
To accumulate steps, try out all your new sitting-stopper strategies — active recreation, lifestyle activity, active transportation, and active breaks. Download the step log and log your steps for a week.
Step-counters, called pedometers, are easy to use. If you don’t have a pedometer, you can use a step-counting app on a phone. (Be sure to carry the phone on your body, like in a pocket or a wearable pouch.)
Don’t have a device to count your steps? No problem! Give yourself 200 steps for every minute of movement you do throughout each day.