AGES 5 TO 18
An hour a day, on average
The NHS says children and young people should aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a day across the week, plus activities that build muscles and bones.
Check an ageEvery age has its own daily target.
The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines set a daily amount of activity for every age, from tummy time for babies to an hour a day for teenagers. Running, climbing, scooting and dancing all count.
- Move every day
- Mix it up
- Break up sitting
- The guidelines in three lines
THE SHORT ANSWER
More than you
might think.
The amount changes with age.
The message stays the same: move every day.
UNDER 5S
Three hours, any pace
Toddlers and pre-schoolers should be active for at least 180 minutes a day, spread through the day. For this age, light activity such as rolling and playing counts.
Ideas that count
EVERYDAY
The trip to school counts
Walking to school, playground games, cycling, skipping and dancing are all on the NHS list of moderate activity. It does not have to be organised sport.
See the numbersGeneral information only, not professional safety advice. If someone is in immediate danger, call the emergency services.
FOUR WAYS TO ADD MINUTES
Fit it into
the everyday.
The guidelines are about the whole day, not just PE or a club. These ideas come from the NHS lists of activities that count.
Walk or scoot to school
Walking to school or walking the dog counts as moderate activity: enough to breathe faster and feel warmer.
Get outside to play
For under 5s, active play such as climbing frames, chasing games, ball games and riding a bike is the best way to get moving.
Jump, climb and tumble
Jumping, gymnastics, football and martial arts help build muscles and bones, which the guidelines ask for across the week.
Break up long sits
Cut time spent sitting or lying down, and break long periods with some activity. Long spells strapped in a buggy or car are not good for under 5s.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Rising,
but not there yet.
From Sport England's Active Lives survey of
children and young people, 2024-25.
49.1%
Children meeting the 60-minute guideline
The highest since the survey began in 2017-18, when it was 43%. It still means more than half of children and young people in England are not active enough.
ACTIVE · SPORT ENGLAND
28.4%
Averaging under 30 minutes a day
Just over a quarter of children do less than an average of 30 minutes a day. Another 22.5% are fairly active, at 30 to 59 minutes.
LESS ACTIVE · SPORT ENGLAND
Sport England found a gap between girls (46% active) and boys (52%), and only 40% of children with two or more characteristics of inequality met the guidelines.
A QUICK AGE CHECK
How much activity
at this age?
Pick an age group to see what the UK guidelines recommend each day. The bar shows how many minutes a day the guideline asks for.
From the NHS pages based on the UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines. Get medical advice about exercise if your child has a health condition.
HOW HARD IS MODERATE?
Talk, but
not sing.
The NHS describes moderate activity as anything that raises the heart rate and makes you breathe faster and feel warmer. A simple test: you can still talk, but not sing.
For under 5s, any intensity counts, from rolling and standing to running and jumping. Older children should mix different types and intensities across the week, start new exercise slowly and use protective equipment for cycling and skateboarding.
In conversation
Questions people ask
How much exercise should a child do a day?
Children and young people aged 5 to 18 should aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a day across the week. Toddlers and pre-schoolers need at least 180 minutes a day.
Does it have to be 60 minutes every single day?
The guideline is an average across the week, so some days can be more and some less. The NHS also suggests spreading activity through the day.
What counts as activity for a toddler?
Activity of any intensity counts for under 5s, including standing up, moving around, rolling and playing, as well as skipping, hopping, running and jumping.
How many children meet the guidelines?
Sport England's Active Lives survey for 2024-25 found 49.1% of children and young people in England averaged 60 minutes or more a day, the highest since the survey began.
Can young people lift weights?
The NHS says young people can use weights for resistance exercise if a qualified adult trains them to use the weights correctly and supervises them.
Sources
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below.
- NHS: Physical activity guidelines for children and young people (5 to 18)
- NHS: Physical activity guidelines for children (under 5 years)
- GOV.UK: Physical activity guidelines, UK Chief Medical Officers' report
- Sport England: Children's activity levels rising but inactivity remains too high (Active Lives 2024-25)