The American Heart Association recommends that children and adolescents participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Inactive children are more likely to become inactive adults. One way to help get our children moving is to start gradually reducing their amount of screen time. "Screen time" is a term used for activities done in front of a screen, such as watching TV, working on a computer, or playing video games. Screen time is a sedentary activity, meaning you are being physically inactive while sitting down. Very little energy is used during screen time.
Most American children spend about 3 hours a day watching TV. Added together, all types of screen time may often total 5 to 7 hours a day. It is recommended that children under age 2 should have no screen time and kids over age 2 should limit it to 1 to 2 hours a day.