Keeping active

Advice and information to help children and young people get active. 

Being physically active is important for children and young people to stay healthy and feel well. Physical activity is any movement that makes your heart beat faster, makes you breathe more quickly, and makes you feel warmer. 

Physical activity can look different for everyone because people have different abilities. The most important thing is to find activities that your child enjoys and has fun doing.

Some children and young people may enjoy taking part in sports clubs or activity groups. Others may prefer visiting the park, kicking a football in the garden, going for a walk, running, dancing, cycling or doing other activities they enjoy. 

What are the benefits of physical activity?

There are lots of benefits of physical activity for children and young people. This may include:
  • meeting new people
  • developing confidence and concentration
  • feeling a sense of achievement
  • supporting good mental health and wellbeing
  • feeling calmer and less stressed
  • improving balance and coordination
  • improving strength and movement

Staying safe during physical activity

Children should always be supervised when taking part in exercise or physical activities. This should be by a parent, carer, another responsible adult, or a qualified adult.

It is important to choose activities that are suitable for your child's age, abilities and needs. If you are unsure which activities are right for you child, please speak to a healthcare professional for advice and support. 

It is normal to feel out of breath when exercising and being active, but you should stop the activity straight away if a child or young person experiences any of these symptoms: 

  • weakness
  • feeling unsteady
  • feeling light-headed or dizzy
  • chest pain or tightness
  • feeling sick (nausea)

If any of these symptoms happen, please stop the activity and seek advice from a healthcare professional. 

It is normal to experience some mild muscle soreness when starting a new activity or exercise. 

Local activities in Coventry

There are lots of places in Coventry where children and young people can take part in fun activities that can help them to get and stay active. 

Sports facilities 

Search a range of indoor and outdoor sports facilities in Coventry or search by postcode. 

Groups and classes 

  • Highly Sprung offers dance and creative arts workshops for children and young people of all abilities.
  • Purple planet at Tiny Tims is a soft play area in Coventry city centre where children can be active, play and have fun. Discounts are available for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
  • The Grangers Club in Willenhall is a social club for young people aged 14 and over with learning difficulties. The club helps people make friends and take part in a range of fun activities.
  • Short Breaks give children and young people the chance to take part in fun activities away from their parents or carers. There are many locations across Coventry. The service is run by the Children's Disability Team and offers after school and holiday activities designed for children who need extra support.
  • SEND Athletics Club in Leamington Spa is a friendly athletics club for children aged 8 to 11 with SEND.
  • CP Athletics Club in Leamington Spa is a friendly athletics club for children aged 7 to 14 with cerebral palsy.
  • Riding for the Disabled Association helps children and adults with a disability to take part in activities with horses, such as riding and carriage driving. There are multiple locations in Warwickshire.  

Activity in early years (0 to 5 years)

It is important for young children to be able to explore, play, and move around. This helps them to develop physical skills they need in the future. 

Activities that may encourage your child's development include:

  • soft play
  • playing on equipment at the park
  • swimming
  • cycling, including using trikes and balance bikes

This section is designed to support the information you have received from your health visitor.

Ideas and tips for keeping your child active can be found in the leaflets and links below:

Local groups 

There are lots of local groups that may be useful for your child's early years development. These could include: 

  • aqua-tots
  • stay and play
  • music and movement
  • tumble tots

Your local children's centre will offer various other groups and activities, please contact them for further information.

Further support 

As well as being active it is important that your child has a healthy diet. Coventry Start for Life can provide you with more information about this.

Activity in school years (5 to 18 years)

Why should children exercise?

We only have one body and exercise is an important part of keeping it healthy. Lots of us don't do enough exercise or physical activity. 

How long should children exercise for?

The NHS recommends children and young people aged 5 to 18 should do at least 2 types of physical activity every week. This should include an aerobic activity and an activity that strengthens muscles and bones.

Children should aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. 

Children and young people with physical disabilities should aim for at least 20 minutes of physical activity per day. This can be broken up into small chunks throughout the day and should be increased slowly.

The most important thing is that physical activity should be fun! Activities that can support your child's development could include:

  • soft play
  • climbing frames
  • cycling
  • swimming
  • sports/PE
  • games that use movement like twister and hopscotch 

For more information read the NHS physical activity guidelines for children and young people.  

Taking part in sports 

Taking part in sports is a great way to help children and young people stay healthy, active and strong. Sport can also help you meet new people and make new friends. You do not  need to be experienced or be the best at a sport to take part. The most important thing is that you enjoy it and have fun.  

How to take part is sports safely 

When trying a new sport, you should start slowly and build up your activity over time. This can help to prevent injuries and improve your fitness safely.

Stretching after exercise, when your muscles are warm, will help to reduce the risk of injury. You should stretch all your muscles after exercise, including your legs and arms. Your coach or group leader can show you how to do these stretches safely. 

How does exercise help posture? 

As you get older, you may spend more time carrying a heavy school bag, sitting in class or using computers or game consoles. Having good posture can help to reduce the chance of back pain, shoulder pain and other aches and pains.

Being active and exercising regularly can help to support good posture. It is also important to take regular breaks from sitting down to move around during the day. 

If you are a teenager, you will be nearing the end of your growing years. Staying active can improve your fitness and support concentration and learning at school or college.

Healthy eating and exercise 

Healthy eating is also important. Our body is a system that needs energy put in it to make it work. This energy can be measured as calories and is in the food we eat. We need a certain amount of energy to function and carry out our normal daily activities, like going up and down the stairs or walking around at school. If we do more exercise, we need more energy put in. If we do less exercise, we won't need as much energy. If you eat more than your body needs, this excess energy will get stored as fat and this will increase your weight.

For more information or support about eating a balanced diet, visit the Coventry Family Health and Lifestyle Service. 

 

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