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View Full Version : 3 hours exercise a day - realistic?



mumofone
25-02-2016, 10:00 AM
I can't recall the document produced recently that said children should be having 3 hours of exercise a day but it worries me slightly as my mindees don't get that...Dyou all really give your mindees 3 hours a day?

Mouse
25-02-2016, 10:36 AM
Is it 3 hours of exercise or 3 hours of being active?

Jessymax
25-02-2016, 10:37 AM
no! id say 1-2 daily I give its mainly through being outdoors we go on a lot of walks mainly because I the kids love it we live in a beautiful place surrounded my fields, streams, stiles, and secondly because id go stir crazy if not!! I just put baby in carrier and off we go x

Mouse
25-02-2016, 10:41 AM
Physical activity guidelines for children - Live Well - NHS Choices (http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-children.aspx#light)

Basically it should be 3 hours spread out over a day where children aren't sitting still.

I think my own children and mindees all managed that as they never sit still or stop moving!

mumofone
25-02-2016, 10:47 AM
Is it 3 hours of exercise or 3 hours of being active?

What's considered being active rather than exercising? Just any form of play then?

Mouse
25-02-2016, 10:59 AM
What's considered being active rather than exercising? Just any form of play then?

Look at the link I've posted. It gives examples of light exercise (simply moving around) and harder exercise such as running, climbing etc.

I remember when this was first talked about a few years ago and, like you, we were wondering how we were going to fit in 3 hours of exercise a day! I do think most children move round a lot anyway, but there are those who would happily sit for a whole day doing very little. They are the ones you need to nudge off the sofa and get moving :thumbsup:

JCrakers
25-02-2016, 12:39 PM
My 3.5yr old mindee has been very active this morning.. he's an amazing walker. He was dropped off at 8.30am, we walked to school and then arrived in town at 9.20am, we sat for 15mins in a coffee shop then toddler group until 11am, he then walked around a couple of shops, supermarket and then back to mine, arriving at 12pm...phew.
He'll walk back to school at 3pm after a good run around at the park first.

But my 2.5yr old was in the pushchair for most of the journey, she then came out and sat in a chair at coffee shop. She did get an hour at toddler group and did walk on the quieter road for 15min. Now she's sat eating lunch and will then sleep, so not half as active as the older child.

I just take the guidelines as what they are. As long as they are not plonked in front of a TV for hours then they are always on the go. :D

FloraDora
25-02-2016, 02:03 PM
The children who are with me from 8-5 have 9 hours here so apart from the quiet hour in the afternoon and the puzzle time before home they are active a lot of the time. They chase, follow, play with each other in their imaginary games, on the move between rooms, we have a musical rhythm and movement time daily plus they often dance as part of their game/ when music is on. We have garden time everyday, which is sometimes just feeding the birds or a walk around the garden to look for signs of Spring/ Autumn, but often they walk around making and baking with the mud kitchen or throwing balls, where they are active but not energetic. Playing in the sand is fairly sedentary too, but I think that's OK as long as some active activity has taken place.
Then we walk / run to the nature reserve every day where energetic play - running with the wind ribbons, footballs or just chasing each other in between the trees, climbing at the playground, walking around the lake takes place. Sometimes we cycle/ trike so that counts too.
They easily clock up at least 3 hours, plus they may walk home or walk around the supermarket on the way with their parents. In better weather the children all do some sort of active activity with their parents too, walking the dog, playing at home in their garden, on their bikes, at ballet class etc..

Mumofone , if you sit and log an average day I am sure your LO's are active and energetic for easily 3 hours.

Locally there has been an issue on this topic with a CM who received an inadequate because the observations on the day showed children, though engaged and making progress were spending every day in one playroom conservatory with little room to move around just playing with sit down toys or table activities, which they enjoyed but were not active enough as even in their imaginary games they didn't move around because of limited space. Then some were in their push chair on school runs for 2 hours a day, so another time when they were sedentary. Unfortunately it was not a nice day on inspection either so the CM had not taken them out into the garden either which she said in her evaluation was when they did energetic type play. But she didn't have an ethos of its your clothes not the weather that stops play which she does now of course.
Good idea mumofone to highlight this topic.

SYLVIA
25-02-2016, 06:53 PM
I think most of mine do that in a day but I do have one that would sit I front of a blank tv screen from 8 till 6 daily and the only exercise would be the walk from the sofa to the lunch table and back again.

BallyH
25-02-2016, 07:11 PM
We'll probably be all provided with little step pedometers soon as part of the governments plan to get children moving. That would be interesting to see how many steps they do take on average each day.

SYLVIA
25-02-2016, 07:38 PM
We'll probably be all provided with little step pedometers soon as part of the governments plan to get children moving. That would be interesting to see how many steps they do take on average each day.

I've said we should do that to my grandson when he's here as he never sits still x

Maza
25-02-2016, 08:21 PM
We'll probably be all provided with little step pedometers soon as part of the governments plan to get children moving. That would be interesting to see how many steps they do take on average each day.

That would be fascinating!

Floradora, did some people disagree with her grading then? In a country like ours you cannot use the weather as an excuse because we have a lot of rubbish weather. If you have a commitment to physical activity then you find a way, regardless of the weather.