Summary: Did you know that only 35% of Canadian children get enough physical activity? Regular physical activity is important for muscle and bone development, but it can also improve learning and attention, reduce worry, and improve mood.

Why are so many children falling short? The answer is complicated, but one reason is a decline in independent mobility. It used to be normal for children to spend time outside – playing and travelling around their neighbourhood – without adult supervision. Today, children spend most of their time indoors and supervised.

Negin Riazi will discuss the new 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (0-4 years) and Children and Youth (5-17), and how independent mobility factors in. She will also provide strategies to support safe independent mobility.

Background: Negin Riazi is a PhD candidate in the School of Kinesiology at The University of British Columbia. Her research focuses broadly on children’s physical activity with two main foci: children’s independent mobility and population-level physical activity initiatives and policy-level interventions. I have been a collaborator in several research projects focused on children’s independent mobility, active transportation, and outdoor play and in the knowledge translation of the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth (5-17) and the Early Years (0-4 years).