A senior children’s doctor for the West Herts Hospitals Trust (WHHT) has added his support to a national campaign which is using the magic of Disney to get children moving for an extra 100 million minutes of exercise this summer.
The ‘10 Minute Shake Up’ campaign is part of the Change4Life national initiative developed by Public Health England. It uses popular Disney characters alongside recognisable Change4Life animation to encourage children to do regular 10 minute bursts of exercise, to help them reach the recommended 60 minutes or more of physical activity they need each day. Change4Life aims to improve the health of families through healthy eating and increased physical activity. Unfortunately, only one in five children aged five to ten currently meets the recommended target of 60 minutes of daily activity, with almost 40 per cent doing less than 30 minutes per day. Those who sign up for the ‘10 Minute Shake Up’ will receive a free pack containing inspirational ideas and tools to encourage children to get more physically active. Packs include a stopwatch for timing 10 minutes of activity, a Disney-inspired wall chart to track your child’s progress and stickers to reward them. They will also receive ‘10 Minute Shake Up’ Disney character activity cards, including The Incredibles and the Disney Princess. Dr Anthony Cohn is a consultant paediatrician (a doctor who specialises in treating children) and Clinical Director for Paediatrics at the Trust. He said: “We recognise that the summer holidays are long, which can be a real struggle for parents. It’s easy for kids to eat too much unhealthy food and get too little exercise. This campaign is a great and free way to shake things up and make exercise more fun and appealing to younger people. “Encouraging children to do a few extra 10 minute bursts of activity every day can make a real difference to their health. It will help them maintain a healthier weight too.”
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