In an era when kids have constant access to televisions, computers, tablets, and smartphones, the allure of physical activity is fading. That’s bad news, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the number of children who are obese has tripled over the past 30 years.
And it’s not just children. According to the CDC, only one in four U.S. adults gets enough exercise, and about 31 million adults age 50 and older get no physical activity beyond what’s required of daily living. In fact, the United States spends an estimated $117 billion in annual health care costs because of sedentary lifestyles and the conditions they can lead to, such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
If your family is one of the many that’s not getting enough exercise, it’s time to make a change—and make it together. Mom and Dad can stay motivated to exercise by knowing they are participating in bonding activities; in turn, the kids can appreciate the value of exercise because they are being shown its value firsthand. GreatSchools, a national nonprofit providing educational advice for parents, points out that children have to learn by example. If you want your kids to be active, you have to be active yourself.
How much exercise do we need?
Here’s the thing about exercise: Unless you have a major goal to meet—losing 30 pounds or running a marathon, for example—you don’t need to be training excessively. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, adults need only 150–300 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week or 75–150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, ideally spread out across several days. That breaks down to about 30 minutes a day for five days a week of moderate activities like walking or taking a leisurely bike ride.
Preschool-age children (ages 3–5) should be physically active throughout the day, ideally participating in a variety of activity types, and children ages 6–17 should do one hour or more of moderate to vigorous activity a day.
