In the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, is it possible to keep your kids active?
Even before COVID-19, Dr Nicole Nathan worked with NSW Regional Health Partners to help schools give students enough activity. You might already know the recommendation that children have 150 minutes of physical activity per day.
But what about now, with all outings in NSW restricted to the “essential”? The University of Newcastle public health academic says movement is still crucial for your family’s mental health.
“Getting out in some sunshine, just moving, is really going to be so essential as these weeks progress,” she told ABC Newcastle.
Dr Nathan’s tips include getting out for family walks, utilising YouTube videos for everything from fitness to meditation, “game-ifying” repeatable exercises like skipping rope and push-ups, downloading fitness apps specifically for teens and, perhaps most importantly, being kind to yourself and accepting that your kids move less right now than you’d like, but that’s to be expected.
Listen: Dr Nathan spoke to ABC Newcastle’s Dan Cox.
