What’s the minimum amount of exercise kids need?

Walking to school is out. Playgrounds are a no-go. Swimming lessons are suspended.

But coronavirus restrictions or not, children still need physical activity — and quite a lot of it.

There’s no need to beat yourself up about not implementing a perfectly structured exercise routine for your kids during the coronavirus pandemic.

But there are straightforward ways to make sure your family is getting enough physical activity to stay healthy.

Start by getting to know the guidelines

The government’s physical activity guidelinessay children aged five to 12 need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, but can benefit from up to several hours of physical activity over the course of each day. Gulp.

This activity can be a combination of moderate to vigorous — anything from a brisk walk to sprinting around the backyard.

Younger kids aged three to five should spend at least two hours, spread throughout the day, doing a variety of physical activities.

At least half of that time (and more is better) should be spent on energetic play such as running, jumping, kicking and throwing.

Kids of this age shouldn’t be restrained in strollers or car seats for more than an hour at a time, and shouldn’t be sitting for extended periods.

Avoid the ‘do as I say, not as I do’ approach

Snapping at your kids to play footy outside — while you’re lying on the couch, or working in front of your computer? That’s not going to work.

“Parental role modelling is important,” says child obesity researcher Louise Baur, who is head of child and adolescent health at the University of Sydney and a paediatrician in weight management at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

“It’s important that parents get up and get moving as well.”

That might sound like a chore (and if you need help getting on top of your own exercise during the pandemic, these tips might help.)

But if the current circumstances have a silver lining, it’s that they present “a golden opportunity to reconnect as a family and get active together”, says paediatrician Gary Leong, from Nepean Blue Mountains Family Metabolic Health and Paediatric Diabetes Services at Nepean Hospital.

Scooters, bikes or walking the dog can all form part of a daily routine that you and your kids will ultimately look forward to, experts say.

Wondering where to start?

Choose a variety of family activities you can swap between from day to day.

“A good way to do this is to make a weekly plan on a Sunday,” says Professor Baur.

“Sit down as a family and plan each day’s activity.

If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, there are plenty of sports and games to choose from. Dr Leong recommends volleyball as a fun option.

“You can tie a rope between two trees (or the fence) for the net and use a soccer ball if you don’t have a volleyball. Use a balloon for fun modification to volleyball,” says Dr Leong, who recently authored a book about tackling childhood obesity as a family.

You can also kick a footy or frisbee, throw balls, or skip ropes. If if you don’t have any equipment, Dr Leong recommends making paper airplanes to throw around and chase after.

You don’t have to be luckly enough to have a trampoline,a pool or a ping pong table at your disposal; having a paper aeroplane competition or kicking a footy are cheap or free ways to keep your kids active.

Break up the day with regular activity

When you’re working from home, the temptation to plonk your offspring in front of the television is strong.

The national guidelines say sedentary screen time should be limited to one hour or less in a 24-hour period — and Professor Baur says children also need regular breaks from prolonged sitting or doing class work (“the younger the child, the more frequent the break,” she says.)

Of course, the pandemic has created exceptional circumstances, and we all need to be realistic about just how much time we have in a day to juggle work and other commitments as well as our children’s welfare.

That said, if you can, try swapping out some of that sedentary time for more ‘active’ activities — puzzles, drawing, crafting, painting or music practice, suggests Professor Baur.

It’s also a good idea to plan on a family exercise outing a couple of times a day.

“The cheapest and easiest way to exercise is to walk,” says Professor Baur.

“If possible, can you do this twice a day? I think we need more breaks each day now from being inside.”

Whether it’s walking the dog, bringing the scooter or taking a bike ride as a family, sticking to a daily (or twice-daily) exercise outing routine is ideal.

The more you do it, the more it will become routine you all look forward to.