Let’s Move: why ten minutes of moving together counts

If you’ve ever avoided joining in because you didn’t think you’d be any good, you’re in large company. A new government campaign, launched on 8 October, is built around that feeling, and its message is a useful one for adults as much as children: you don’t have to be sporty to be active.

What’s been announced

The campaign is the latest phase of Let’s Move!, run by the government with the theme “New Moves Club”. It encourages families with children aged 7 to 11 to try a new activity together, whether that’s basketball, cricket, yoga or a hula hoop in the garden. Fitness coach Joe Wicks and actor Charlie Brooks front a short film for the launch.

The idea is to start small. Activities can take just ten minutes, building towards the 60 minutes a day of activity that NHS guidelines recommend for children. According to the government’s announcement, fewer than half of children in the UK currently reach that level.

What the survey found

Alongside the launch, the government published findings from a Censuswide survey of 2,006 parents and guardians of 7 to 11-year-olds in England, carried out in August. Among the findings:

• 82% of parents said they would like their family to be more active together.
• 49% said they don’t feel naturally sporty, and 61% said they had avoided trying a sport or activity because they were worried they wouldn’t be good at it.
• 68% said it’s harder to encourage their children to be active if they aren’t active themselves.
• 40% said a lack of time stops them being active alongside their children.
• For the children, the biggest reason to get active with their family was simply to have fun (60%).

It’s a survey of attitudes, so it tells us how parents feel rather than how active families actually are. But the pattern is familiar. Confidence and time come up again and again as the things that stop people starting, at any age.

Why the ten-minute idea works

Ten minutes sounds almost too small to matter, and that’s the point. A short, easy start removes the two biggest excuses at once: there’s no need to be good at it, and there’s always time for ten minutes. Once something is a habit, it’s far easier to stretch it.

It also matches how activity guidelines work. For children, the NHS talks about an average of at least 60 minutes a day across the week, and that can be built up from shorter bursts. For adults, the target of 150 minutes of moderate activity a week can likewise be spread across the week in whatever way suits you.

The campaign’s tips are practical and free:

• Turn chores into games, or put music on and dance while dinner cooks.
• Walk, scoot or cycle at least part of the school run.
• Get outside for a game of tag or a trip to the park, and have an indoor option ready for wet days.
• Look out for free local events such as junior parkrun.
• Don’t worry about getting it right. Let the children see you wobble and keep going.

Our take

The best exercise is the one you’ll actually do, and that’s usually the one you enjoy. We like the campaign’s focus on having a go rather than being good, and the idea that parents moving with their children helps both. If you’re a parent who’s been meaning to get more active yourself, joining in with the children is a low-pressure place to start. A family walk after school counts.

If you have a health condition or an injury, or you haven’t been active for a long time, start gently and check with your GP if you’re unsure what’s right for you.