Healthy active living means being physically active and eating well
every day.

Did you know that more than half of Canadian children are not
active enough for optimal growth and development? That means they
are not as healthy as they could be.

As well, 25% of children are considered obese, and that number is on
the rise. The main reasons are:

Lack of physical activity. Many children and youth are not getting
enough physical activity or exercise.  

Poor eating habits. Many kids eat too much convenience, junk or fast
foods, which are high in fat and calories.

Families can play an important role in promoting healthy active
living. Here are some suggestions:

Get active

Get the whole family involved in regular physical activity and healthy
eating. It will be easier if everyone’s in it together. If you focus
on just one child, they may feel like they’re being punished.
If your children are not active, increase the time that they
currently spend on physical activities and sports by at least 30
minutes a day. They should spend at least 10 minutes on vigorous
activity, which makes their hearts beat faster, makes them breathe
harder, and makes their bodies feel warm.
 
Make active living part of your child’s daily routine. It’s easier
and more realistic than relying only on scheduled, organized
activities:
Encourage your child to take part in activities that involve moving,
not sitting. Set limits on how much time they spend watching TV,
playing video games, and surfing the Internet no more than one hour a
day.

Organized sports alone (such as a soccer team or a hockey league)
aren’t enough to keep children and youth healthy. Encourage them to
also discover activities they can do and enjoy every day, such as
walking or cycling to a friend’s house or skipping rope.
 
If you drive your children to school, try walking instead, or organize
a walking club with the neighbours.
 
Encourage your children to take the stairs instead of the escalator
or elevator.
 
Get your child involved in activities around the house: carrying the
groceries, raking leaves, or shovelling snow.
 
Be sure activities are safe. Children and youth should wear protective
equipment for activities like cycling, skating, skateboarding,
soccer, and other physical activities.
 
Eat well

Limit the amount of high-fat, high-calorie foods you bring into your
home. It’s easier for children to make healthy choices if there’s no
junk food around to tempt them. If you do bring home foods like chips
or cookies, buy smaller packages.
  
Help your children choose foods that are high in cereal fibre like
bran, wheat, and rye. These include dry cereal or cereal bars, which
are naturally filling and low in calories.  

Provide your children with healthy snacks. Instead of high-fat foods
like chips and donuts, offer fruit and raw vegetables, like celery
and carrots.  

Encourage your child to drink water instead of juice. Even juice that
is labelled unsweetened can have as many calories as soft drinks.
Set a limit on juice and soft drinks. Aim for no more than 4 to 8 oz
a day, depending on your child’s size and weight.
 
If your children eat at fast food restaurants, help them resist the
temptation to supersize their meals. Stick with regular portions,
and don’t go as often.
  
Help your child or teen accept their body. Instead of dieting,
encourage them to get active. Dieting leads to a yo-yo cycle of weight
gain and weight loss that is not healthy.
 
If your child is overweight, talk to your doctor about setting
realistic weight-loss goals, and about developing a plan to reach
those goals.
  
Be a role model!

Your children will learn most about healthy active living from you.

Being active

Builds strong bones and strengthens muscles.
 
Helps children stay flexible.
 
Helps children reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Promotes good posture and balance.

Improves children’s fitness levels.

Helps children meet new friends.

Strengthens the heart.

Helps children feel better about their bodies.

Helps children relax.

Enhances healthy growth and development.

Adapted from Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for Children

For more information

Position statement from the Canadian Paediatric Society: Healthy
Active Living for Children and Youth

Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living,
Health Canada: www.paguide.com or 1-888-334-9769.