Feb 29, 2024
Physical Activity Guidelines for School-Aged Children 6-17
Get moving as a family! Teach your little ones how to live an active lifestyle by moving with them. Use this Healthy Habits Tracker from American Coaching Academy to stay motivated to move!
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) shares the following information with us on physical activity for school-aged children written by Jessie Fudge, M.D., FACSM, Kaiser Permanente Washington.
Recommendations
Kids and teens age 6-17 years of age should perform:
- 60 mins per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, mostly aerobic
- 3 times a week of muscle-strengthening activities
- 3 times a week of bone-strengthening activities
Activities
Many activities will overlap in categories and free play usually meets all requirements.
Aerobic
- Running
- Biking
- Swimming
- Playing tag
Muscle strengthening
- Gymnastics
- Climbing trees or monkey bars
- Yoga
Bone-strengthening
- Jump-rope
- Hopscotch
- Tennis
- Basketball
Benefits
- Better bone and heart health
- Healthier weight
- Reduced risk of depression
How to Help Kids Improve
Not meeting guidelines:
- Gradually increase enjoyable physical activities
Meeting guidelines:
- Maintain and try to increase physical activity
Exceeding guidelines:
- Maintain activity level, but vary activities to reduce overtraining or injury
Learn more about Physical Activity in School-Aged Children from ACSM