Getting active

Staying active is a vital part of keeping healthy, from birth right through to old age. Exercise and active play help prevent obesity, keep us fit, improve our immune systems, moods and concentration - and they can be sociable and fun, too.

Research shows that lacks of play affects all aspects of children's development - physical, intellectual, emotional and social. The huge rise in diagnoses of ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) in the past few decades also coincides with children becoming less active.

Why are children becoming less active?

Studies show that over the past 100 years children have become less and less active. Families are smaller, meaning children have fewer playmates at home. Many parents are concerned about the danger from strangers and cars and so children are discouraged from playing on the street.

The amount of sport children do at school has decreased in some areas as playing fields are sold off. Most children are now driven to school and other activities, meaning they do less walking. In cities there are fewer open spaces where children can play safely, meaning they are more likely to stay at home and become couch potatoes.

Active play: the key

Active play can be anything from organised sport to a trip to the swimming pool, beach or park, dancing, gardening, water play or even just rough and tumble games. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Try to walk rather than using cars or public transport. Encourage your child's school to start a Walking Bus: www.walkingbus.com has lots of suggestions and tips to help.
• Limit the amount of TV and video games your child watches and plays to 1-2 hours per day.
• Encourage your child to join clubs locally to try out new activities and find one she enjoys. Children don't always stick to one club for long, so opt for 'taster' sessions where you can before shelling out money for lots of classes or kit.
• If your child loves video games, encourage her to try more active ones like dance mat games.
• Do let your child play messy games with paint, water or sand if you can. Provide overalls or old clothes, put down lots of newspaper if you're indoors and get stuck in together!
• Visit your local park, pay area and swimming pool regularly.
• Children learn by example, so get active with them. They'll be much more likely to stay active as they get older, too. Play together, go on walks and trips - you could even do a family fun run together.
• Get outdoors as much as possible. If you have a garden, outside space or even a sunny window sill, let your child take responsibility for a bit of it and help her to grow and care for some plants. Cress can be grown on damp tissue paper in a saucer and beans, peas or tomatoes will grow in pots - and they're great to eat, too. Sunflowers are fun to grow, too: try having a competition to see whose gets tallest.

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