New Guidelines to Support Disabled Children to be More Active

Disabled children and young people will be supported to be more physically active following the publication of new guidelines from the UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs).

The new guidelines recommend disabled children and young people:

• undertake 120 to 180 minutes of aerobic physical activity per week at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity – this can be achieved in different ways (for example, 20 minutes per day or 40 minutes 3 times per week) through activities such as walking or cycling
• complete challenging, but manageable, strength and balance activities 3 times per week which are particularly beneficial for muscle strength and motor skills – for example, indoor wall climbing, yoga, and modified sports such as basketball or football
• when first starting to exercise, build up slowly to avoid injury
• break down their exercise into bite-size chunks of physical activity throughout the day to make it more manageable

The guidance, which recommends daily levels of physical activity, will support disabled children and young people to improve their physical and mental health throughout their lives.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidelines-to-support-disabled-children-to-be-more-active