It is the start of the summer holidays, so to help children to have a fun time – and get their recommended amount of daily activity in bite size chunks – Public Health England (PHE) has launched its annual Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Ups programme in partnership with Disney.
Aimed at families with children aged five to 11, the campaign helps parents and carers to get their kids moving with simple, fun, 10-minute activities that feature favourite Disney shows and characters as inspiration.
The 10 Minute Shake Ups programme is run in collaboration with Disney and Sport England. The new Shake Ups feature characters from Disney Pixar’s latest animation Cars 3, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Moana, Frozen Fever and Zootropolis, as well as the stars of The Lodge. Sport England will help families to try new sports and physical activities locally, whether at their local park, leisure centre or through popular sports.
The launch of this year’s summer 10 Minute Shake Ups programme follows a national survey by PHE that found the number of children meeting the recommended amount of physical activity for healthy development and to maintain a healthy weight – which is 60 minutes a day – drops by 40% between the ages of five and 12.
The 10 Minute Shake Up activities, that all children can do anywhere in small or large groups with their friends and family, help children get more of the 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity they need each day in a fun and accessible way.
Currently, just 22% of boys and 29% of girls in the Yorkshire and the Humber region meet the national recommended level of activity. In North Yorkshire, 21% of four to five year olds start primary school overweight or obese, rising to 30% by the time they leave at 10 and 11 years old.
“Last year, the 10 Minute Shake Ups programme helped more than a million children get more active,’’ said County Councillor Caroline Dickinson, Executive Member for Public Health. “The programme doesn’t just end after the summer holidays, though, as when children return to school in September more activities will be released on the Change4Life schools website to encourage them to carry on being active both in and outside the classroom.
“Supporting the Shake Ups campaign is part of a wider commitment by North Yorkshire County Council to tackle obesity amongst people of all ages and improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.”
Families can sign up for more information and take part in this summer’s 10 Minute Shake Ups programme by visiting http://po.st/10MSU_NorthYorks