How can i encourage physical activity for my child?
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Children are naturally very physically active and you can help develop lasting fitness habits in your child by encouraging such activity. Staying active is important for developing health and fitness, but also for positive attitudes, healthy body image, confidence, self-esteem, and healthy eating patterns.
It is important for parents to provide their child with plenty of opportunity to be active. For example, by providing equipment, taking them to playgrounds or other places of physical activity. But it also doesn’t need to be complicated, parents can make being active a fun part of the family’s daily routine (e.g., by walking to the shops instead of driving, or playing in the park instead of watching TV). Just like introducing young children to healthy body image and eating patterns is important, engaging children early in life in regular family physical activity is also important, so that children regard it as a normal everyday routine. The best motivator for physical activity is making it fun! 
Coaches or sporting instructors can influence the development of your child’s attitudes to appearance, weight, and shape. If you believe that the language or behaviour of an important adult, such as a coach, is having a negative impact on your child’s body image or eating patterns, try to talk to that adult about the importance of promoting healthy attitudes towards eating and body image in children, even in the sport setting.
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Tips for parents
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MAKE IT ABOUT FUN
• Expose your child to a variety of physical activities.
• Avoid suggesting physical activity be used to become thinner or more muscular. Instead, encourage physical activity because it
is fun, associated with setting and achieving goals, and part of a healthy, active lifestyle.
• Try physical activities that are suited to your child’s age, interests, and abilities, and are fun for your child.
• Find physical activities that your child feels comfortable with (e.g., consider the type of activity, place, and coach).
• Look for physical activities that provide encouragement and praise for your child as they improve their skills.
• Encourage your child to engage in free play by letting them choose the physical activity, within a safe environment.
• Encourage your child to spend time each day engaging in unstructured free play activities.
TRY STRUCTURED SPORTS
• Remind your child that sport should be fun, even when it is competitive.
• Talk about how to handle setbacks or disappointments when playing sport.
• Be careful not to push your child to achieve before they are ready. Some children may find that competitive environments
discourage their enjoyment of physical activity.
• If your child is not enjoying a sport, try something different.
• If discussing a change of activity with your child, try to do so without suggesting your child has failed.
GET THE WHOLE FAMILY INVOLVED
• Find activities that you enjoy doing as a family that emphasise spending time together and the skills you enjoy, rather than the
reasons why you are being active.
• Get the whole family involved in coming up with ideas for activities (e.g., create a jar of fun physical activities to do as a
family; when holidays come around pick a suggestion from the jar and enjoy it as a family).
• Replace sedentary time (e.g., watching TV, computer use), with physically active time.
• Actively try to create a healthy lifestyle for your family by identifying and working to overcome barriers that prevent your
family from being physically active.
• Be a good role model by getting involved yourself. Talk about the benefits of physical activity (‘It makes me feel strong and
healthy’) rather than how it will make you look (‘It will help me lose weight’).
• Model enjoyment of regular physical activity, rather than simply telling your child to ‘go out and play’ because it is healthy.
• Expose your child to a variety of physical activities.
• Avoid suggesting physical activity be used to become thinner or more muscular. Instead, encourage physical activity because it
is fun, associated with setting and achieving goals, and part of a healthy, active lifestyle.
• Try physical activities that are suited to your child’s age, interests, and abilities, and are fun for your child.
• Find physical activities that your child feels comfortable with (e.g., consider the type of activity, place, and coach).
• Look for physical activities that provide encouragement and praise for your child as they improve their skills.
• Encourage your child to engage in free play by letting them choose the physical activity, within a safe environment.
• Encourage your child to spend time each day engaging in unstructured free play activities.
TRY STRUCTURED SPORTS
• Remind your child that sport should be fun, even when it is competitive.
• Talk about how to handle setbacks or disappointments when playing sport.
• Be careful not to push your child to achieve before they are ready. Some children may find that competitive environments
discourage their enjoyment of physical activity.
• If your child is not enjoying a sport, try something different.
• If discussing a change of activity with your child, try to do so without suggesting your child has failed.
GET THE WHOLE FAMILY INVOLVED
• Find activities that you enjoy doing as a family that emphasise spending time together and the skills you enjoy, rather than the
reasons why you are being active.
• Get the whole family involved in coming up with ideas for activities (e.g., create a jar of fun physical activities to do as a
family; when holidays come around pick a suggestion from the jar and enjoy it as a family).
• Replace sedentary time (e.g., watching TV, computer use), with physically active time.
• Actively try to create a healthy lifestyle for your family by identifying and working to overcome barriers that prevent your
family from being physically active.
• Be a good role model by getting involved yourself. Talk about the benefits of physical activity (‘It makes me feel strong and
healthy’) rather than how it will make you look (‘It will help me lose weight’).
• Model enjoyment of regular physical activity, rather than simply telling your child to ‘go out and play’ because it is healthy.
