Getting enough exercise is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Yet many people around the world are not active enough. Around one in three adults fail to meet the recommended levels of physical activity, while four in five children aged 11–17 do not achieve the recommended average of 60 minutes a day.

A lack of physical activity increases the risk of long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes. It can also affect cognitive function: the mental processes that help us learn, remember, concentrate and make decisions. For children, these skills are closely linked to educational achievement and future opportunities.

Parents can find it particularly difficult to stay active. The demands of family life often leave little time for exercise, and becoming a parent can make it harder to maintain moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Because physical inactivity affects both generations, families are an important focus for interventions designed to improve health and wellbeing.

Obstacles and inspirations

In our recent research, we interviewed 24 families to explore what helps or hinders physical activity and whether experiences differed according to........

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