Experts recommend that children and adolescents should be moderately to highly physically active for at least 60 minutes a day on average. Physical activity should be mostly aerobic. Physical activity should include high-intensity aerobic physical activity and those forms of physical activity that strengthen muscles and bones at least 3 times a week. Children and adolescents should limit the time they spend sitting. In particular, they should limit spending free time in front of screens.
Physical activity for children and adolescents brings many benefits to their health: it improves physical fitness (cardiorespiratory and muscle capacity), cardio-metabolic health (regulates blood pressure, blood fat and glucose levels and increases insulin sensitivity), bone health, affects the improvement of cognitive abilities (learning performance, planning and execution of daily tasks), improves mental health (reduces symptoms of depression) and reduces obesity.
In children and adolescents, greater amounts of sedentary behavior are associated with the following adverse health outcomes: increased obesity, worsening cardiometabolic health, poorer physical fitness, change in behavioral patterns/prosocial behavior, and reduced sleep time.
Recommended good practices:
- Some physical activity is better than none.
- If children and adolescents do not meet these recommendations, even some physical activity will benefit their health.
- Children and adolescents should start with a small amount of physical activity, but gradually increase its frequency, intensity and duration.
- It is important to provide all children and young people with safe and equal opportunities for physical activity and to encourage them to engage in activities that are pleasant, varied and suitable for their age and ability.
Source: NIJZ ( https://nijz.si/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/who_smernice_td_slv-9.pdf )
Source: NIJZ
The Novo Mesto Olympic Centre offers a whole range of possibilities for the movement of children and young people. Exercising in the fresh air in the embrace of the forest is offered by the recreation park, where the youngest can practice their movement skills in the park for motor skills activities, while the slightly older ones can run and exercise on the treadmill. Throughout the year, the indoor pool invites you to exercise your whole body by swimming alone or with your child or enroll the children in a swimming course offered by the sports clubs operating in the Novo mesto Olympic Centre.
