Fifth of young people hit exercise goals - report

Less than 22% of young people in Jersey get a recommended amount of daily exercise, according to a new report.

It is a slight rise since 2021, but school sport peaks in primary years, with overall activity levels dropping as children age, said the report by Statistics Jersey.

Children and young people aged five to 18 should aim for at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity per day on every day of the week, according to the NHS.

Year 10 and 12 girls had the lowest proportion meeting the recommended levels of physical activity, said the report.

The survey also found:

• About a third of boys in Year 4, Year 6 and Year 8 met the recommended levels of activity
• Overall, a sixth (16%) of girls exercised for at least 60 minutes on seven days the previous week compared with more than a quarter (28%) of boys
• All year groups saw an increase in the proportion of young people meeting the recommended levels of physical activity since 2019, except for Year 10, which remained unchanged

Deputy Malcolm Ferey, Assistant Minister for Children and Families, said it was important children and young people "have the space and encouragement to use our open green spaces, parks and playgrounds to play".

Elliott Powell, from Jersey Sport, said the cost of living was one of the biggest barriers to physical activity.

Moves to break down barriers included a "sport access programme" offering financial support to families.

"There's plenty of things that as an island we need to be a lot better at and Jersey Sport are trying to do some work in that space," Mr Powell said.

"It's a small uptick in self reported physically activity levels but we want to accelerate that in the coming years."

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