UKACTIVE UPDATE VANGUARD
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PASSING ON THE FITNESS BUG
ukactive teams up with kids’ activity campaigner and tennis coach Judy Murray to put
exercise back on the agenda for families. David Stalker reports
I
n the wake of declining rates of childhood fi tness levels and an inactivity pandemic set to shatter the
public health balance sheet, focusing on the role that the family unit has to play in getting kids active in and around the home before they reach school age should be an easy decision. But in recent years, the steady dip in the proportion of young children who regularly enjoy exercise has continued, with no signs of slowing down. Many of the recent government
attempts to get children more active have been focused on the school setting, where the majority of children still have their most meaningful, structured sporting and physical activity experiences. However, there’s a large body of
research that says the home is an integral fi rst-stage environment for young children to learn, develop and improve the basic physical competencies such as throwing and catching – all as part of a healthy, happy childhood.
New report ukactive has therefore joined forces with academic researchers and Judy Murray to deliver a report that sets out the true extent of childhood inactivity in the UK, and the steps that could be taken to reduce it by supporting parents to take the lead through active play in the home. Released this month, the report – Start
Young, Stay Active – off ers a compelling case for early years physical activity to parents, teachers, family units and policymakers, with the aim of garnering additional support structures for parents to enable physical activity to become an intrinsic part of their children’s lives. T e report recommends a variety
of measures that could be taken to embed physical activity into the lives of children and families away from
Judy Murray (above) has launched the Set4Sport initiative in a bid to get more young children active
the school environment. T e idea of introducing physical education into the homework curriculum, drawing a thread of collaboration between teachers and parents, is just one idea. As Murray notes: “It’s vital that parents
encourage and foster an environment where activity is considered important, but it’s also vital for schools, sports providers and authorities to give parents the tools they need to instigate this.” T e long-term benefi ts of an active
childhood are well documented. Studies have shown that more active children are more likely to turn into happy, active adults, less likely to develop psychological wellbeing issues and more likely to be free from chronic illness. T is new ukactive report argues that,
where exercise becomes habitual – established before children even come to identify movement as being equivalent to exercise – we’re onto a winning streak. It’s this ‘cradle to grave’ approach of physical activity where signifi cant health and wellbeing gains are made.
Next steps T ere’s an ever-growing need for more research and analysis when it comes to
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the eff ects of the home environment on children and young people’s attitudes to physical activity as they move through life. Despite being data-poor, the evidence we do have suggests that a child’s appetite for physical activity and aptitude for developing the associated skills grows into lasting behavioural habits with early-age exposure and the willing involvement of parents and other family members. ukactive, alongside Judy Murray, urges
families, schools and anyone who may infl uence how much children move at home to consider the report fi ndings. T e onus is on all of us to help families ensure that children have ample opportunity to grow up with an active lifestyle.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information on the report, or on Judy Murray’s Set4Sport programme – a free collection of fun games for parents to play with their children to develop core sports skills – please contact Stan Jackson: stanjackson@
ukactive.org.uk / +44 20 7420 8560
April 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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