Two-to-four year olds in the UK ‘not active enough to be healthy’
A recent report by The British Heart Foundation National Centre claims that 91% of two-to-four year olds in the UK are not active enough to be healthy.
UK physical activity guidelines state that children within this age group need at least three hours activity a day to see health benefits, but The British Heart Foundation National Centre (BHFNC) claims that the majority of UK children are currently not hitting this target.
In response, a new report from the organisation, The Best Start in Life - A manifesto for physical activity in the early years, calls for politicians to embed more physical activity into national early years policy, ensuring that high levels of activity are supported at home, in settings and within the wider community.
Director of the BHFNC, Elaine McNish said: “This manifesto outlines how we can create an environment for our children that encourages them and stimulates them to be active. We know that active children are more likely to become active adults so it’s vitally important to get it right at the beginning to give children opportunities to play from a young age and develop a lifelong love of being active.”