Aerobic, Muscle- and Bone-Strengthening: What Counts?
To get you started, here is a list of possible activities that children and adolescents can do to meet the Guidelines. These activities serve as a guide, so encourage your child to do any of them, as long as they are age-appropriate.
Many of these activities fall under two or three different categories, making it possible for your child do each type of activity – vigorous-intensity aerobic, muscle- and bone-strengthening activity – on at least 3 days each week. Also, some activities, such as bicycling or basketball, can be done at either a moderate- or a vigorous-intensity, depending on your child's level of effort.
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Age Group
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| Type of Physical Activity | Children | Adolescents |
| Moderate–intensity aerobic |
- Active recreation such as hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading
- Bicycle riding
- Walking to school
|
- Active recreation, such as canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing, skateboarding, rollerblading
- Brisk walking
- Bicycle riding (stationary or road bike)
- House and yard work such as sweeping or pushing a lawn mower
- Playing games that require catching and throwing, such as baseball, softball, basketball and volleyball
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|
Vigorous –intensity aerobic
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- Active games involving running and chasing, such as tag
- Bicycle riding
- Jumping rope
- Martial arts, such as karate
- Running
- Sports such as ice or field hockey, basketball, swimming, tennis or gymnastics
|
- Active games involving running and chasing, such as flag football, soccer
- Bicycle riding
- Jumping rope
- Martial arts such as karate
- Running
- Sports such as tennis, ice or field hockey, basketball, swimming
- Vigorous dancing
- Aerobics
- Cheerleading or gymnastics
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|
Muscle-strengthening
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- Games such as tug of war
- Modified push-ups (with knees on the floor)
- Resistance exercises using body weight or resistance bands
- Rope or tree climbing
- Sit-ups
- Swinging on playground equipment/bars
- Gymnastics
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- Games such as tug of war
- Push-ups
- Resistance exercises with exercise bands, weight machines, hand-held weights
- Rock climbing
- Sit-ups
- Cheerleading or Gymnastics
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Bone-strengthening
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- Games such as hop-scotch
- Hopping, skipping, jumping
- Jumping rope
- Running
- Sports such as gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, tennis
|
- Hopping, skipping, jumping
- Jumping rope
- Running
- Sports such as gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, tennis
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Content source: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion |
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