Safe exercise for children

To help your child stay safe while they're exercising, there are some simple things to keep in mind.

Your child should exercise in a physically and emotionally safe environment, with appropriate equipment.

The environment best for your child will depend on the activity they are doing and their:

• age
• size
• ability

What is a safe environment for exercise?

Before your child exercises, you can check that the area:

• has even ground
• contains no litter or sharp objects
• is well lit

You should also check that the weather is appropriate for your child's activity. Don't let your child stay for too long in the cold or the heat.

You can make sure they wear clothes suited to the environment. Do not let your child play sport outdoors if there's a thunderstorm.

What is safe exercise equipment?

Safe equipment used in physical activity should meet the Australian standards (Opens in new tab).

Any equipment your child uses should also:

• be regularly maintained and not broken
• be padded appropriately

Depending on the physical activity your child does, they may use protective equipment like:

• special footwear
• a mouthguard
• shin pads
• a helmet

Make sure that these fit your child properly.

Being physically active is good for your child in many ways. It can help with your child's:

• physical development
• social development
• emotional health
• learning at school

The amount of exercise that your child needs will depend on their age.

Children aged 5 to 12 years should do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. This physical activity does not have to be all at once — it can be done in small blocks of time. Your child should do vigorous exercises and strengthening exercise at least 3 days each week.

Moderate exercise

Moderate physical activity is when your child can still talk while doing exercise. These activities might include:

• walking fast
• riding a bike with friends
• dancing

Vigorous exercise

Vigorous physical activity will make your child puff and raise their heart rate. These activities might include:

• playing football or netball
• jogging
• aerobics
• swimming laps
• skipping

Strengthening exercise

Your child should also do a range of activities that strengthen their muscles and bones, like:

• sit-ups
• push-ups
• lunges
• squats
• other exercises that involve jumping, hopping, climbing or running

Sitting down

You can encourage your child to get moving and to limit the time they spend sitting down.

The Australian Government recommends that children aged 5 to 17 years should spend no more than 2 hours a day in front of a screen for entertainment, including:

• television
• seated electronic games
• portable electronic devices including smart phones
• computers

Children aged 2 to 5 years should spend no more than 1 hour a day in front of a screen.

Children under 2 years of age don't need any screen time at all.

You can encourage your child to:

• meet friends in person to study or play games, rather than online
• try and spend less than 2 hours each day looking at a screen
• take study breaks and use their breaks to move around

Like adults, children have different levels of skill and fitness. The type and amount of exercise that is right for your child will depend on their:

• age
• fitness
• interests

Watch for signs of burnout, especially when training for organised sport. If your child is exhausted, injured, or struggling to recover after exercising, they may be doing too much.

You can help prevent injury and burnout by encouraging your child to:

• do different types of exercise
• try different sports

There are other things you can do:

• Make sure your child has a rest day from organised sport each week, where they can still play and be active in other ways.
• Make sure your child only does activities they have the strength, skills and experience for.
• Ensure they use proper safety gear, such as a mouth guard or helmet.

If your child is injured, speak to your doctor or another qualified person like a physiotherapist. You should also make sure that they have enough time to recover before exercising again.

Warming up before exercise

Warming up before exercise can prepare your child's body for the activity. Warm-ups can help heat, stretch and soften the muscles. It can also raise your child's heart and breathing rate.

Before exercise, encourage your child to warm up by:

• going for a slow jog, swim, cycle, or a quick walk
• practising specific skills they are going to use, like hitting, kicking, throwing or catching

A warm-up should start light and build up to the energy your child will use during the activity.

Cooling down after exercise

During high intensity exercise, waste products are produced by the body. These collect around the muscle tissue until they can be carried away by the lymphatic system. Cooling down after exercise helps to remove these waste products and helps your child's muscles recover.

After exercise, encourage your child to cool down by:

• Gradually reducing the intensity of their activity. Slow from a run to a slow walk — don't just stop.
• Stretching the muscles they used during the activity.
• Putting on an extra layer of clothes so they cool down slowly.

When exercising in hot weather, your child should wear sunscreen and a hat.

They should also keep hydrated. Make sure they drink water before, during and after playing sport.

If your child starts feeling unwell or has a bad headache, it could be due to dehydration. Have them sit in a cool place and give them some water.

Children can also get heatstroke. Take your child to a doctor as soon as possible if their sunburn is accompanied by:

• fever
• headaches
• nausea
• vomiting

Visit the Sports Medicine Australia website to explore a range of sport-specific fact sheets (Opens in new tab). These discuss ways to prevent injuries, advice for taking care of junior players, and how to prevent and manage common injuries.

You can call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.