The health benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle have been widely reported. From physical health to mental health and wellbeing, just 30 minutes of activity a day can make a huge difference to our lives. But how often are children and young people following these guidelines? In this article, Zeph, member of the Somerset Youth Parliament advisory group, investigates.
Did you know that 28.4 percent of young children are doing less than an average of 30 minutes of activity a day?
Amounts of activity young people are doing:
Less active Fairly active Active 28.4 % of young people 22.5 % of young people 49.1% of young people Less than 30 minutes a day Between 30-59 minutes a day 60 or more minutes a day Around 2.1 million people Around 1.7 million people Around 3.6 million people Although this statistic is better than it has been since 2017, when the survey began, only 49.1% of young people are actually doing the recommended amount of physical activity. Is it good enough that less than half of young people are doing the amount of physical activity recommended by the Chief Medical officer?
As a young person who loves sport, I would love to see the statistic improve.
Barriers
- Cost – Some people are not able to afford to pay to do activity.
- Confidence – Some people do not feel like they know where to go, what you need.
- Accessibility – Some people might be able to afford the activity but not be able to get to the training area.
Solution
- Cost – To offer reduced costs or free access to public leisure facilities.
- Confidence – To create more classes for beginners/less confident people
- Accessibility – Create other areas where you can train or exercise.
References
Active Lives Children and Young People Survey Academic Year 2024-25. Sport England. Published December 2025 Active Lives Children and Young People Survey 2024-25 | Ipsos
Zeph
Not just elected members
Did you know that Somerset Youth Parliament isn’t just it’s elected members? Any young person in Somerset aged 10-25 years can become a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group.
For more information about becoming a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group and to join, visit our Join Us page.
