Avoiding baby couch potatoes

In a bid to prevent problems of obesity and low levels of fitness from an early age, Britain's health department has now released new activity guidelines - for babies and toddlers.

While it may seem that very young children are adequately active in learning to crawl and walk, it has been determined that in reality, too many youngsters are spending the majority of their time in baby carriers and seats, often in front of a television screen. 

"Physical activity should be encouraged from birth, particularly through floor-based play and water-based activities in safe environments," the guidelines read. New parents are being advised that children under five who can walk should get around three hours of physical activity per day.

Infants who can't walk aren't exempt from the guidelines. It's recommended they do physical activity through "tummy time" - time spent on their stomach, engaging in such activities as rolling and playing on the floor - reaching for and grasping objects, pulling, pushing, playing with other people and parent-and-baby swim sessions.

It also recommended that parents in the U.K. limit babies' sedentary time in terms of watching television, sitting in seats or carriers, and even in walking aids or bouncers that constrain movement.
 

For the time being, children under five are excluded from Canada's physical activity guidelines, which call for children ages five to 11 and teens 12 to 17 to do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Mark Tremblay, chairman of the CSEP's physical activity guidelines committee said similar recommendations should be in place in Canada within a year.