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I wasn鈥檛聽a sporty child. Neither of my parents did any exercise, and if they thought I was keeping fit at school, they were wrong. In hindsight, this was a big mistake, as it is becoming increasingly clear that physical activity is hugely important for a child鈥檚 cognitive and physical development, setting them on a healthier trajectory for the years to come.

So how can I do better for my own children? They are aged 5 and 7, and the state that those aged 5 to 18 should be racking up 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on average per day, which means the kinds of things that leave them slightly hot and sweaty (think playground games or a brisk walk). The are similar.

An hour a day sounds like a lot, but remember that children tend to exercise vigorously in fits and starts, says at the University of Bristol, UK. Add up the moments that they spend charging about the playground or at sporty after-school clubs and it begins to feel possible. Helpfully, the guidelines stress an average of 60 minutes per day 鈥� some days might be more active, others less so, and that is alright.

Still, I couldn鈥檛 really tell you what my children get up to at school, so I am in the dark about whether they meet the guidelines. I am not the only one. 鈥淢easuring physical activity is difficult in general, measuring physical activity in children is probably even more so,鈥� says at Nottingham Trent University, UK. Many studies are based on self-reports, which are unreliable. And even when researchers use devices such as accelerometers, these aren鈥檛 a magic bullet, as we don鈥檛 know if children are wearing them consistently.

Insufficiently active

Despite this, there seems to be a consensus that most young people don鈥檛 get enough exercise. In the US, . In the UK, around 60 per cent of 6-year-olds do an hour a day, but as they age 鈥� by 2.5 minutes per day each year, says Jago.

By the time children in the UK go to senior school, activity levels fall off a cliff. Jago鈥檚 research has found that . 鈥淚t鈥檚 noticeable how much fewer opportunities there are when you move to secondary school if you鈥檙e not on an elite team,鈥� he says. This is especially pronounced for girls.

Beyond the amount of time spent being active, many people ignore another key part of the guidelines, says Jago 鈥� that school-age children should do a variety of different types and intensities of activity across the week to develop bone strength, movement skills and muscular fitness. 鈥淭hey need to do some throwing, some catching, some hopping, some skipping, some moving around to develop muscle strength and the kind of movement skills they鈥檙e going to need for later life,鈥� he says.

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All this matters because the list of benefits of exercise for young people is well established 鈥� and growing. Some of the long-term health gains concern risk factors for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 鈥淲e know that those risk factors track into adulthood, so if young people are active鈥� they are more likely to become healthy adults,鈥� says Cooper.

Bone health is another biggie, for which children should do weight-loading activity, for instance jumping on a trampoline or using a climbing frame.

When it comes to the brain, even short bursts of exercise can improve mental functioning in young people. A number of studies have found that a single session of aerobic exercise increases executive function, the higher-level thinking that is key to complex decision-making, memory and the ability to focus on key pieces of information. 鈥淚n children, that鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to be important in school,鈥� says Cooper. There are longer-term effects on their brain function, too, with overall fitness being tied to better cognition.

Crucially, if children form a positive relationship with exercise, they are far more likely to keep it up as they get older.

Exercise for babies

But this sort of conditioning doesn鈥檛 start at school age. Even babies have guidelines for physical activity, with the UK recommending that 1 to 4-year-olds do 180 minutes per day. This includes things like toddling about, splashing in puddles and playing games. By the time they are 3, they should be incorporating 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity as part of that overall active time.

This might sound daunting, but at the University of Cambridge suggests thinking about it in terms of providing more opportunities for children to simply move. Take them out of the buggy and let them walk home, for instance, even if it feels excruciatingly slow. Find ways to play more games too. There is a sweet spot where play and activity overlap, says Hesketh. 鈥淭hat little bit in the middle is active play,鈥� she says, and that is where you see the health benefits of exercise, but also additional mental health benefits from playing.

If, like me, you are worried that your children aren鈥檛 doing enough, remember it is never too late to start doing more, but start small and find things they really enjoy. 鈥淭he best physical activity is whatever physical activity they will actually do,鈥� says Cooper. The aim is that it feels natural and becomes a habit.

School uniforms may prevent children from getting enough exercise

Children who live in countries where school uniforms are the norm appear to be less active than those who don't, possibly because the clothing restricts their movement

Small changes in the way we talk to our children can also help. We often tell them to stop running, sit down, says Hesketh. This can stifle their tendency for activity. In fact, research shows that well-behaved children tend to be less active. This is particularly pertinent when we think about ingrained expectations for the way girls and boys behave.

鈥淭here鈥檚 this perception that boys are allowed to be more active than girls. Even from the tiniest age group, 3 months up, physical activity metrics are higher [for boys],鈥� Hesketh says. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really important that we allow everyone to be active.鈥�

And for younger children, try to encourage risky and adventurous play. 鈥淪ociety is becoming much more risk-averse, and some of the work that we鈥檙e doing shows that safety is a huge barrier to physical activity,鈥� says Hesketh. 鈥淗owever, research shows that children who have more adventurous play have .鈥�

鈥淚f you are a parent, the key message is to figure out what they like, which probably means trying multiple things,鈥� says Jago. 鈥淭he other key message is just do a bit more than you鈥檙e doing now.鈥�