Two in five children want to be more physically active, study reveals - but many spend six hours a day glued to their devices

Two in five children want to be more physically active, study reveals - but many spend six hours a day glued to their devices By Shaun Wooller, Health Editor Published: 20:24 EDT, 7 August 2024 | Updated: 20:26 EDT, 7 August 2024 e-mail View comments Two in five children want to be more physically active but many spend six hours a day glued to their devices, a study reveals. More than a third of youngsters aged seven to 14 years (35 per cent) say they do just half an hour or less of exercise each day outside of school. Meanwhile, one in ten (12 per cent) are active for only a few minutes, despite the UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines recommending at least an hour.

Over half (53 per cent) are using screens for more than three hours each day when not in school, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) staring at gadgets for six hours. This is despite only 26 per cent of children saying they prefer to be in front of a screen than exercising, according to a survey of 1,000 seven to 14-year-olds by fitness trade body ukactive. Two in five children want to be more physically active but many spend six hours a day glued to their devices, a study reveals Over half (53 per cent) are using screens for more than three hours each day when not in school, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) staring at gadgets for six hours Furthermore, 40 per cent say they want to be more physically active than they are.

Research shows that physically active children have more confidence, less anxiety, bette.