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According to new research commissioned on behalf of TomTom, 80% of parents, with kids 5-18, say their children do less than the recommended 60 minutes of exercise per day.

The research coincides with the launch of TomTom’s Be Active programme in the UK. TomTom will support Kid’s Run Free, a charity that organises fun running activities for kids in local parks and schools to help instill active lifestyle habits at a young age.

96% of parents surveyed consider physical activity important for the overall development of children. 72% agree that kids should start to be physically active before their fourth birthday, however there are significant barriers. “Cost” was cited as the biggest barrier to their kids being more active amongst parents with kids 5-18 (32%), along with “laziness” (26%), “lack of time” (25%) and “lack of facilities in the local area” (16%).

“The long term health benefits of being active from an early age are well known,” said Corinne Vigreux, co-founder of TomTom. “Research also shows that the more physically active children are, the better they do academically. So, we are proud to launch our Be Active programme in the UK and to support Kid’s Run Free. We are committed to helping this worthy cause grow and expand across the UK to help get more kids moving and have fun doing it.”

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