700 Children's® – A Blog by Pediatric Experts

Exercise as Medicine: What's Your Child's Dose?

Jun 26, 2025
A smiling adult encourages a young girl learning to ride a bicycle in a park. The girl, wearing a helmet and a plaid dress, looks back at the adult with a joyful expression as they share a moment of support and connection.

If you knew you could help prevent diseases with exercise, you would likely make exercise a priority. Well, have you ever thought of exercise as medicine? Daily moderate to vigorous exercise is good for a child’s mind, body, and soul. Countless research studies repeatedly demonstrate the positive effects of daily exercise in pediatrics and adults. 

Exercise is known to improve:

  • Anxiety
  • Attention
  • Balance
  • Bone strength
  • Concentration
  • Depression
  • Sleep

Exercise has a role in the treatment and prevention of 40+ chronic diseases such as:

  • Cancer
  • Dementia
  • Diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • Obesity

So, if you think of exercise as preventative medicine, how much should your child’s “dose” be? The typical prescription would be Rx: 60 minutes and Quantity: daily. The type of exercise would be Sig: moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise daily with muscular strengthening and bone strengthening 2-3 days a week. This prescription has unlimited refills!

If you find it difficult for your child to dedicate 60 continuous minutes a day, don’t worry – it can be broken up into 10-minute increments, or doses, 6 times a day. Every family should tailor their exercise prescription to meet their child’s needs.

Some helpful questions a family could use to design their child’s prescription:

  • Who will be my child’s activity/exercise buddy?
  • What are the goals of my child’s daily exercise?
  • What activity or activities can my child do?
  • When can my child be active (include time of day for each day)?
  • Where can my child do these activities?
  • How can I vary my child’s activity to stay interested in exercising?

There is no better time than the present to design an exercise prescription for your child and family. The benefits are countless. Exercise improves overall health, overall mental health, and lowers all-cause mortality. It’s time to get you and your child moving for life!

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Nationwide Children's Hospital Medical Professional
Amy E. Valasek, MD, MSc
Sports Medicine

Amy Elizabeth Valasek, MD, MSc is a physician for Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine and an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She is fellowship trained and board certified in sports medicine.

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Pediatric News You Can Use From America’s Largest Pediatric Hospital and Research Center

700 Children’s® features the most current pediatric health care information and research from our pediatric experts – physicians and specialists who have seen it all. Many of them are parents and bring a special understanding to what our patients and families experience. If you have a child – or care for a child – 700 Children’s was created especially for you.