How to get kids active this school year
UBC Medicine researchers share why today’s kids aren’t moving enough — and how we can help change that.
For many kids, school involves lots of seated time. And most aren’t getting enough physical activity, an essential element of healthy physical, social and mental development.
Dr. Christine Voss, assistant professor in the UBC Department of Pediatrics, and Dr. Taru Manyanga, affiliate assistant professor with UBC’s Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)-North program, are working to address this. Dr. Voss investigates how physical activity relates to current and long-term health outcomes in children, and Dr. Manyanga focuses on promoting equitable access to physical activity for youth in northern, rural and remote communities.
We spoke with them about what’s keeping kids from being active — and what’s needed to get them moving.
What’s getting in the way of kids meeting physical activity guidelines?
CV: We see physical activity declining as kids reach school age. People with very young kids know how active they are — all they want to do is climb fences and railings. When they start school, that starts to fall away and an over-reliance on structured activity creeps in. We also see a gender gap appear and grow, with girls becoming less active than boys.
A primary culprit is our environment and how we go about our days. We drive our kids around a lot and think it’s unsafe for them to take transit, walk or bike alone. Driving is the cultural norm in North America, which makes it hard to change and disrupt.
TM: As a kid, most of what determines activity levels is outside of your control. Are your parents or guardians working multiple jobs? Can they afford extracurricular sports? Does your school have good physical education programs?
There’s also an urban-rural divide, with only 20 per cent of youth in rural and northern B.C. meeting activity guidelines. It’s harder for kids in these communities — not only because their environment is harsher and winters are colder, but also because they experience more socio-economic challenges and access to recreational facilities and sports programs may be limited.
“Standing is better than sitting, walking is better than sitting, and running is better than walking. Anything is better than sitting and not expending energy.“
Dr. Taru Manyanga
What are some easy ways parents can get kids moving more?
CV: I like promoting active travel to school, like walking or biking, because research shows that kids who do so also tend to use active modes of travel to other places.
Not everybody can walk or bike to school, but transit is a great alternative. One of our studies found that kids who take transit get almost as much activity from their school commute as kids who walk.
If you absolutely have to drive your kid to school, or any location for that matter, consider if there’s a safe location to drop them off that isn’t immediately in front of the building.
TM: A key, but very underrated thing, is to send your child to school with active footwear, like a pair of sneakers, for recess time. Make being active the default. Remember: standing is better than sitting, walking is better than sitting, and running is better than walking. Anything is better than sitting and not expending energy.
What do youth have to say?
TM: We’ve spoken with more than 70 youth from seven northern B.C. communities, and many had creative ideas to address this, like having shared sports equipment libraries and peer-led programs that could be supported by parent and community volunteers. They also told us they wanted more youth-led, non-competitive co-ed sports, so they could enjoy being active in a less pressured environment.
Is screen time getting in the way of physical activity?
CV: A lot of people blame screens, but it isn’t that clear cut. I’m currently running a study with five- to 10-year-olds, and we see more boys than girls meeting physical activity guidelines — but the boys also have a lot more recreational screen time. Screens are here to stay, and we have to learn how to live with them. That includes limiting our own use of screens and modelling intentional screen time to our kids.
TM: Too much screentime can interfere with sleep, which impacts energy, cognition and mental health. With screentime, parents should lead by example. One idea is to have a social contract to stay off screens after a certain time, signed by everyone in the family. Kids can help decide the terms of the contract, and what the consequences are to breaking it. Then everyone — including the parents — abides by that.
Most B.C. youth aren’t meeting Canada’s movement guidelines
A recent UBC study found that only four per cent of youth in B.C. are meeting all of Canada’s recommendations for daily movement, and it could be impacting their mental health.
September 8, 2025