Physical Activity

Active school travel makes a difference

Children and youth who walk or bike to school are more physically active.

• It is recommended that children and youth accumulate at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity involving a variety of aerobic activities. Vigorous physical activities, and muscle and bone-strengthening activities, should each be incorporated at least 3 days per week. Walk with your children to school when possible.
• Encourage your teenagers to walk to and from school.
• Start a "Walking School Bus" with other families in your neighbourhood where trusted adults volunteer to walk a group of children to and from school.
• Talk to your child's school about current active travel initiatives (including International Walk to School Month (IWALK), and Bike to School Week).
• Learn more about active transportation from Ontario Active School Travel.

Tips for staying motivated

• Use active transportation with friends and family.
• Try new routes to keep it interesting.
• Make a walking route at work.
• Walk during breaks or lunch with fellow co-workers.
• Set realistic and achievable goals.
• Set a weekly plan.
• If you have not been regularly active, start out with short walks (e.g. 10 minutes).

Watch the 'Everybody Walk' video

Tips for safety

• Carry identification.
• Carry a cell phone.
• Bring water if going on a long distance.
• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Wear bright, reflective clothing especially if walking at night.
• Dress for the weather conditions.
• Walk in areas where you feel safe.
• Cross streets at traffic lights, stop signs or crosswalks.
• If walking where there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic.
• Avoid using headphones (or only wear in one ear and keep volume low).
• Avoid using cellphones or texting.
• Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.
• Walk in daylight or in well-lit areas.
• Stop walking if you feel any pain.
• Check the air quality health index and UV index before you start your walk.
• Be sun safe.

In Durham Region

• Explore information about cycling and walking.
• Durham Region has terrain for mountain bikers of all skill levels.
• Learn more about transportation and transit.

1. Write down your goal.

   Set a goal that suits your life and activities you enjoy. A goal might be to:

   • Be active together as a family three times a week.
   • Go for a family walk every evening after dinner.
   • Go for a family bike ride twice a week.
2. Make a plan
   Decide when, where and what you will do. Write it on a calendar where everyone can see it.
3. Keep track of your family's activities
   • Tracking helps you keep at it.
   • When you reach your goal, celebrate your success.

• Set a family goal and be active together.
• Look for new activities.
• Keep track of your family's activity.
• Celebrate your successes.
• Set goals that are achievable.
• Do your best to stick with it because it can take two weeks to two months to form a new routine.
• Use an app to keep you on track and organized. If you do a search you will find lots of options from helping you to goal set, tracking your activities, to helping you make a plan.

Try the ParticipACTION app

• Be active for short periods of time (e.g. 10-minute activities).
• Have a healthy snack before your activity.
• Drink water before, during and after being active. 
• Eat healthy.

Just 10 minutes at a time counts.

Look for ways to add activity into your day:

• Park in the far corner of the parking lot.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• When watching your children play sports, such as hockey or soccer, look for ways you can move too such as walking around while watching.
• Walk for 10 minutes or more on work breaks, after work, before or after dinner.
• Walk or cycle for short trips to the store, to get mail, to work/school or to visit friends.
• Walk over to talk to your co-worker, friend, or neighbour instead of sending an email.
• If you take a bus, get off a stop early and walk the rest of the way.

After you eat, sugars and fats get in your blood. Muscles use the sugars and fats as energy. When sitting, muscles use very little energy. The longer you sit, the faster fats and sugars build up in your blood. This strains your body. Having too much fat and sugar in the blood can:

• Lower good (HDL) cholesterol.
• Puts stress on the pancreas.
• Creates insulin resistance.

Over time this may lead to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, some cancers, mental health problems and early death.

Screen time is time spent on digital screens. This includes televisions, computers, smartphones or tablets.

Why is screen time harmful?

Screen time is harmful for two reasons:

1. People sit for long periods of time with very little movement when using screens.
2. Screens can affect young children's development. This is because their brains need feedback and responses. Screens can be informative, but they do not react based on a child's response. If a child finds something funny and laughs, there is no feedback or response from the screen to confirm if laughing was appropriate or not.

Tips for parents to reduce screen time with kids

• Infants can be active through interactive, floor-based play with a caregiver.
• Take children outdoors every day to play.
• Be a role model and enjoy being active with your children.
• Limit time spent sitting in the car and on the bus. On long car rides, plan stops for stretching and active playtime.
• Instead of driving, walk to school with family or friends.
• Keep TVs and computers out of bedrooms.
• Have rules and limits on time spent watching TV or playing video games.
• Instead of screen time in the evening, go for a family walk or bike ride.

Tips to help lower sedentary time

• Stand when you can such as while talking on the phone.
• Fold laundry or clean while watching TV.
• Stand up and stretch every 30 minutes.
• Replace leisure sitting time with going for a walk or being active.
• Plan regular breaks to stand and stretch during travel.
• Keep TVs and computers out of bedrooms.
• Have rules and limits on time spent watching TV or playing video games.
• Choose an app for your computer/phone/device that will notify you to take a break.

• Encourage your child to walk or cycle to and from school.
• Allow your child to help choose activities.
• Plan family activities.
• Keep TVs out of kids' bedrooms.
• Try to spend more time outdoors after school because it lowers anxiety, anger, tiredness and sadness.
• Stop at the park after school every day.
• Encourage your child to try out for sports teams at school.
• When your child plays, encourage active games like skipping, hopscotch, or tag.
• On special occasions, give gifts that encourage activity like a soccer ball or skipping rope.
• Sign your child up for low cost or free recreation programs.
• Clean the house with some upbeat holiday music.
• Encourage both unstructured (bike riding, hiking, creative play) and structured play (sports, games)
• Role model healthy active behaviour because their eyes are always on you.

Help your children develop physical literacy. This means having basic movement skills. When your child has these skills it helps them develop confidence in moving. They'll stay active through life.

Practice basic movement skills like:

• crawling
• hopping
• running
• throwing
• catching
• kicking a ball
• balancing
• swimming
• climbing
• skating
• dodging
• cycling
• jumping

Resources and links for physical literacy

• Infographic and information about physical literacy from Active for Life
• Physical literacy web page from ParticipACTION

• Increased social skills.
• Lower risk of becoming overweight or obese later in life.
• Healthy development.
• Improved self-regulation of their emotions.
• Improved skills to deal with stress.
• Opportunities to build resiliency skills.
• Kids are more active when they are outside.

• Learning to play and playing to learn resource
• Move and Play Every day resource
• Outdoor play calendar
• 2018 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children & Youth