COMMENTARY: There are ways to keep your kids active during the coronavirus lockdown

The battle against the spread of COVID-19 requires social distancing or confinement that radically changes the way we live with our children and adolescents.

As physical and health education (PHE) teachers responsible for the health education courses offered at l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) for future teachers, we have some advice for families living in confinement to help parents and children lead the healthiest and most active lives possible.

First of all, always keep this formula in mind: move, eat well, sleep, relax, manage screen time, play.

READ MORE: What to do with your kids during the outbreak

Continue to be active

Adopting or maintaining physical activity is essential, even in a confined space. Children and adolescents should be active for a minimum of 60 minutes a day as recommended by the World Health Organization.

These can be intense moments of activity such as simple games — playing hide and seek, making a fort in the basement, inventing a route in the alley, throwing a basketball, kicking a soccer ball, playing ball hockey in the street, dancing, biking or skateboarding.

What’s important is that the activities are varied and regular.  » READ MORE FROM GLOBAL NEWS