Definition | Recommendations | |
---|---|---|
Physical activity | Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure – including activities undertaken while working, playing, carrying out household chores, travelling, and engaging in recreational pursuits [25]. | Children and adolescents aged 5–17 should accumulate at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. Most of the daily physical activity should be aerobic. Vigorous activities should be incorporated, including those that strengthen muscle and bone, at least 3 times per week [25]. |
Sedentary behavior | Any waking behavior, characterized by an energy expenditure ≤1.5 metabolic equivalents (MET’s), while in a sitting or reclining posture [47]. | Children (aged 5–11 years) and adolescents (aged 12–17 years) should minimize the time they spend being sedentary each day. To achieve this: |
- Limit use of electronic media for entertainment (e.g. television, seated electronic games and computer use) to no more than 2 h per day [48, 49] | ||
- Limit sedentary (motorized) transport, extended sitting time, and time spent indoors throughout the day [48] | ||
- Break up long periods of sitting as often as possible [49] |