With schools, gyms and studios closed, activity levels are plummeting. Reports by Sport England show that 43 per cent of children under 16 are managing less than half an hour of physical activity daily during lockdown. It’s not just for our physical fitness but for our mental health that we need to keep moving. According to government guidelines, toddlers and pre-school children should be active for three hours a day — including standing, rolling and moving around as well as playing, with some jumping and running. For children aged from 5 to 18 the advice is to aim for at least an hour of moderate-intensity exercise a day — walking, cycling, skateboarding — but also to include activities that will strengthen muscles and bones, such as running, skipping, climbing, dance and bodyweight exercises, such as sit-ups and press-ups.

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