The Recommended Daily Exercise For Children

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2007 and 2008, almost 17 percent of American children ages two to 19 years old were classified as obese. An even greater percentage was considered overweight according to their body mass index. Among the significant contributing factors to the rising rate of obesity is insufficient or lack of physical activity. In addition to weight management, exercise is important for cardiovascular health and disease prevention.

Daily Recommendation

The current recommendation for children and adolescents is to accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity a day. This should be a combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activities. This does not need to be continuous, planned and structured exercise each day, but activities should be varied and create enough exertion to benefit the child's health. Variations in the type of activity will help ensure that the aerobic, muscular and skeletal systems are affected.

Aerobic Exercise

The majority of your child's accumulated 60 minutes should consist of aerobic physical activity. Activity choices that involve large muscle groups and are rhythmic in nature, such as walking, running, biking and swimming, are considered aerobic. To increase the intensity to the vigorous level, which should be included at least three days a week, your child can pick up their pace to a run or fast walk.

Muscle Strengthening Exercise

Activities that will strengthen your child's muscles should be included at least three days per week as part of the accumulated 60 minutes. Examples could include exercises such as gymnastics moves or pushups, or play time activities, such as climbing trees or playing tug-of-war with a rope. Older children or adolescents may also incorporate resistance training similar to adults, such as elastic tubing or dumbbell exercises, by performing eight to 12 repetitions per exercise.

Bone Strengthening Exercise

In order for an activity to be considered bone-strengthening, there needs to be enough force placed on the bones in order to promote bone strength and growth. Often, the ground provides that force in activities such as jump roping, tennis, hopscotch and basketball. Bone strengthening activities should also be incorporated at least three days a week into your child's accumulated 60 daily minutes.

Other Considerations

Allow your child to choose activities that he finds fun to encourage lifetime enjoyment. You don't want your child to view physical activity as a chore or punishment. Keep in mind that a child's system has a harder time regulating heat, so water should always be on hand so your child can stay hydrated. Try to decrease activities that can be considered sedentary, such as watching TV or playing video games.