The 60-Minute Rule: How Much Activity Does Your Child Need?

The World Health Organization recommends that children and teenagers aged 5–17 do an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day.

What Counts vs What Doesn't

What counts: Anything that raises the heart rate and makes breathing heavier: running, cycling, skipping, swimming, active play and team games.

What doesn't: Standing in line, slow walking, or long waits between turns.

Why It's Hard

Long school days, tuition, heat and traffic push movement out of the day. Many parents are surprised by how little hard movement their child actually gets.

A Simple Way to Close the Gap

• Track one week: Note when your child really moves.
• Add one structured session: A coached, game-based class gives concentrated movement in a single slot.
• Add small wins: Stairs, cycling, a ten-minute play break between study blocks.
• Keep it fun: Children do more of what they enjoy.

Not a daily test: The WHO figure is an average over the week. Missing one day is fine. A pattern of missing most days is the thing to fix.