Make activity fun! Try the dance floor if you're not too keen on the gym

Get young people active

Top Ten Tips to …Get Young People Active

Youths have higher levels of energy, yet many young people are not reaching the 60 minutes a day recommendation, Obesity among young people is increasing at a rapid rate.

  1. Some is better than none! Some physical activity is better than none and any amount of physical activity gives you health benefits. Start slowly if you are a beginner, vigorous activities like running may be too much at first, therefore, choose a gentler option and increase your time and pace as you progress.
  2. Set yourself short-term achievable goals. To begin short bouts of activity are recommended e.g. walking 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week. Once this is manageable, try increasing your time to 15 minutes, then walk on more days of the week all the time increasing your time as you go. Set physical activity goals with your friends and your family to give you extra support.
  3. Record your progress. Write down what you achieve each day and compare this to the goals that you have set. Seeing your progress written down is encouraging and can help you stay motivated. Why not download an activity diary that you can use.
  4. It needs to be fun! Don’t choose an activity because you think it would be ‘good’ for you; fun is the key to sticking to your plan. You are more likely to stick with it if you are having some fun and enjoying yourself.
  5. Choose a variety of activities. Choose at least a couple of activities to help keep you interested. You may get bored and lose motivation if you stick to only one form of physical activity. Check out the event page to see what options are available in your area.
  6. Walk or cycle to school or at least some of the way, it is a great way to get active everyday. During school; get active at break time, get up and move about.
  7. Get involved in activities outside of school. Join a local team/club in your community. Ask your parents to sign you up for a class you like or want to try. It doesn’t matter what it is as long you enjoy it. Why not have a look on the events page to see what’s on in your area.
  8. Give something new, exciting, or challenging a try; local sports clubs often visit schools to invite new members to join so why not give it a go. Take part in school/class or club challenges.
  9. Take a break from study. Go for a short walk to clear your head; this will help your powers of concentration!
  10. You don’t have to give up the computer completely! If you like playing computer games choose active games over sedentary games. By playing active games you use more energy than playing sedentary computer games but not as much energy as playing the sport/activity itself.

If you have a disability, the benefits of participating in regular physical activity are the same and many exciting opportunities exist to participate in sports and physical activity. For further information contact your local sports partnership sports inclusion disability officer or the CARA National Adapted Physical Activity Centre.