It's a walk in the park

Simple ways to build healthy habits

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Simple ways to build healthy habits

The healthy, active habits we build in our primary school years can turn into lifelong healthy behaviours. The key is to keep it simple and manageable.

Why does movement matter?

We all know that physical activity is good for your body – but with children, it has plenty of added benefits too…

Regular exercise can help improve children’s mental wellbeing

Five ways that exercise helps mental health:

Movement doesn’t just build muscle – it builds brains. Exercise encourages children to explore, follow rules and solve problems.
When children move more, it can help them focus more. Young children have a built-in need to move around, and once they’ve burned off that energy, they’re often better able to focus on tasks¹.
Exercise releases feel-good endorphins and increases serotonin and dopamine levels, which can help improve mood and sleep, and can help reduce stress.
Exercise can also give children an outlet for emotions they may not be able to express any other way.
It reduces anxiety and depression later in life. Research shows that physical activity in childhood has long-lasting effects on mental wellbeing.²

All exercise can improve social skill

Exercise can help children build social skills, confidence and self-esteem. Team games, playing with friends, and family activities like walks and bike rides, all teach cooperation, turn-taking and resilience when things don’t go the child’s way. And while they’re learning these important skills, they’re also learning healthy ways to have fun – away from screens.

Last but not least – it builds healthy bodies

Regular physical activity in childhood builds strong bones and muscles when children’s bodies are developing at their fastest. It can also help improve coordination and balance.

See our guide to why childhood physical activity matters.

^{1. Physical activity improves children's cognitive outcomes –}^{Birkbeck University of London}
^{2. Physical activity during childhood improves mental health –}^{British Journal of Sports Medicine}

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How much exercise do primary school age children need and what counts?

NHS guidance says that children should:

do a mixture of aerobic exercise and exercises to strengthen their muscles and bones
aim for an average of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day across the week³– enough to raise their heart rate, breathe faster and feel warmer.

Aerobic exercises

Muscle- and bone-strengthening exercises

Walking

Running

Swimming

Skipping

Dancing

Football

Gymnastics

Jumping

Martial arts

Sit-ups, press-ups and other similar exercises for children

What counts as exercise for children?

The good news is that children don’t have to do the recommended 60 minutes of exercise in a single block, and it doesn’t have to be sport.

Here are some other activities that count:

active play such as tag, ball games, skipping, hide and seek, climbing and building dens
walking to school or walking the dog
bike rides, walks and swimming – which can also help everyone in the family get fit
riding bikes, scooting, roller-skating, skateboarding
everyday chores like gardening, helping with the grocery shop and even vacuuming
kitchen disco!

Have a look at our family fitness ideas for more tips.

_{^{3. Physical activity guidelines for children and young people –}}_^NHS

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How can I help my child be more active?

In 2025, AXA Health polled 2,000 parents with children aged 6 to 17 and found that children spend under four hours a week exercising and more than 14 hours on screens. 69% of parents say motivating their child to exercise is a struggle.⁴

It’s not always easy to get your child to take part in physical activities outside of school, especially as they get older. They may become more self-conscious about their body, and for many children, screen time and technology are much more enticing than exercise and fresh air.

So, what can you do to encourage your child to be more active? Here are some ideas:

Make it part of family life. Make time to do something together regularly.
Don’t make it a chore – make it interesting and varied, focussing on feel-good activities that they already enjoy. Don’t force them into lane swimming if there’s an inflatables session, or make them drill tennis if they want to spend an afternoon at the playground.
Find out what activities they enjoy most and do more of them.
Don’t just watch – if you can, join in. Children are more likely to take part if they see family members taking part.

_{^{4. British children spend less than four hours a week exercising –}}_{^{AXA Health}}

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What about hygiene?

As children grow older, they’ll need to start taking more responsibility for their personal hygiene – from showering and bathing on their own to using deodorant.

Encouraging personal hygiene can help your child feel more confident about their changing body and help them avoid any unkind comments from their peers. But you’ll need to balance encouraging advice with the risk of making hygiene a battleground or a source of anxiety, which can be tricky.

Children will study hygiene as part of their school curriculum – you can ask them about what they cover – but gentle encouragement at home can support this too. Starting the conversation early can help.

Age 4 – 7

Children learn the basics - brushing their teeth twice a day, washing their hands after going to the toilet and bathing regularly. Here are a few tips to help:

Let them pick their own toothbrush.
Use a sticker chart to monitor progress.
Supervise teeth brushing as children are unlikely to do it on their own – or use an app to help with timing (there are plenty available).
Have bath toys – even an empty bottle or a plastic beaker works – or use bath time as a time to talk.
Make sure they can reach the sink and use the soap – get a safe step if it helps.
Have regular dental checkups. If they’re worried, have a look for videos or books to read together about dentist trips – for example, ‘My first dentist’ from CBeebies, or Peppa Pig’s Dentist Trip.

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What about hygiene?

Age 7 – 11

This age group usually becomes more capable, independent – and privacy becomes important. Here are some things to think about at a tricky age:

Start having conversations about puberty. You may want to talk about changes in body shape, body odour and periods, if relevant. It’s better to talk about these things sooner rather than later so that your child isn’t caught off guard or embarrassed.
Don’t make it awkward – keep it matter of fact and practical and be prepared to answer questions.
Find out what the school teaches and when they teach it – most schools will be happy to tell you – and build on this, rather than duplicating it.
Give them a sense of control by letting them choose their own shower gel or deodorant.
Make sure soap, deodorant and sanitary products are somewhere accessible so that your child doesn’t have to ask you for them.
If you’re not sure how to talk to your child about their body and privacy – for example, how to talk about their private parts – have a look at the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS website.

What support can I get if I’m concerned?

If you’re worried, you can speak to:

your GP (who can refer you to a paediatrician)
your child’s teacher
a school nurse.

Some children might start puberty early, before the age of 8 – if you notice this in your child then it’s usually nothing to worry about, but your GP may carry out some tests to see if a condition is causing it.

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Where can I find out more?

NHS physical activity guidelines	Information about how much physical activity children and young people should ideally be doing.
NHS healthier families	Activities and tips to get kids moving.
AXA Health family health hub	Articles and videos on navigating family life including: Family fitness: active ideas to get everyone moving The importance of physical activity during childhood
BBC Bitesize activities	Articles and fun activities to help children (and parents) get active.
Personal hygiene five steps to function	An online booklet full of helpful information and practical tips to help parents support children – produced by Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.

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