North West parents unaware physical activity helps children develop skills to deal with life’s challenges

Children and young people who are more active have more confidence, higher self-esteem, less anxiety and stress, and better social skills

A new survey from Change4Life and Disney UK has found that less than half of parents in the North West are aware that physical activity can build children’s self-confidence (49%) reduce anxiety (49%) and improve their self-esteem (44%).

Just 11% (1 in 10) think that physical activity can help children develop attributes which make it easier to cope with life’s little setbacks.

Evidence shows that children and young people who are more active have more confidence, higher self-esteem, less anxiety and stress and better social skills – attributes that can help them deal with the challenges they face in daily life. Positive attitudes towards physical activity have also been associated with children being happier.

The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that children do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, yet just 20% of boys and even fewer girls (14%), are meeting this target, despite 95% of children in the north west saying that they enjoy being active.

To help children in the north west get more active this summer, the Change4Life campaign is encouraging children to play 10 Minute Shake Up games inspired by favourite characters from Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4 and Incredibles 2; and Disney’s Frozen and The Lion King.

Nearly two thirds (65%) of children in the north west surveyed said they would be inspired to be more physically active if they saw their favourite characters being active.

Four in five parents (81%) think that kids are likely to enjoy sports and physical activities if they’re fun and 54% of children agree that this helps.

Change4Life has also launched a new online quiz to help children, with their parents, find activities and sports that might be perfect for them to try, based on their skills and abilities.

According to the survey, around half of children in the north west think that they need to be ‘fast’ (51%) or ‘strong’ (41%) to be physically active and only a quarter (26%) see themselves as ‘sporty’. The campaign reinforces that simple daily activities like active play, scooting or walking count, so by encouraging them, parents can help their children become more active.

Public Health England (PHE) North West’s Children and Young People lead Steve Morton said: “It’s really important our children are fit and healthy and it’s concerning to see how few kids in the north west are active despite saying how much they enjoy it. “Being physically active gives children more energy, can help with focus and concentration skills as well as having a positive effect on mood and behaviour.

“The Change4Life 10-minute Shake Up campaign is a fun and exciting way for kids to be active this summer as well as develop skills that will help them throughout their life.”