Sunderland among worst performing areas for levels of children's exercise

Concern has been voiced about the lack of physical activity being taken by children in Sunderland.

The Sport and Recreation Alliance has made the call to tackle the inactivity crisis among English children after research revealed four out of five under-16s are not getting the minimum recommendedamount of exercise.

According to guidance from the Chief Medical Officer, youngers should engage in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day, which "strengthen muscle and bone incorporated at least three days a week".

Moderate activities can include cycling or games in the playground, while vigorous activities include running fast, football and swimming.

But Sport England's data reveals fewer than one in five children is hitting this target, with a further one in four doing an average of more than an hour's activity every day.

That, however, leaves more than half of all under-16s who are doing less than an hour of activity every day, with one in three doing less than 30 minutes.

The SRA, which represents national governing bodies in the sports and leisure sector, has mapped these numbers by local council areas.

In the worst-performing areas such as Sunderland, Sheffield, Westminster and Wolverhampton, only one in 10 children is meeting the target and almost half are doing less than 30 minutes of activity a day.

The SRA’s chief executive Lisa Wainwright said it was national problem in need of a local solution.