Fiona Giannakopoulos can't remember spending time indoors as a child.
"Kids of this generation aren't doing enough activity," the mother of Madlyn, 10, and Danae, 8, said.
"As a parent you need to put aside time every week to get children outside and engaging in activity."
She says the effects that regular activity has on her two children are obvious.
"More than anything it creates a lot of positivity and they carry that into school", Mrs Giannakopoulos said.
"It's a good motivator and it keeps their attitudes positive."
Last year, Australia's youth were ranked as some of the least active in the world by the inaugural Active Kids Australia Report Card. The survey, compiled by researchers from Australian universities and endorsed by the the Heart Foundation, compared the physical activity of children among 15 nations. It found that only 19 per cent of Australians aged 5-17 years met the recommended Australian physical activity guidelines of accumulating at least 60 minutes of exercise a day.
Childhood obesity in Australia has doubled in prevalence since the 1980s, according to a recent review from the Murdoch Children's Institute. The review, published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health last month, looked at childhood obesity trends over the past 50 years, and found that in Australia the number of overweight and obese five- to 15-year-olds has increased to more than 25 per cent since 1980.
Childhood obesity remains a complex issue, and while inactivity is not the sole cause, regular physical activity is recognised as one of the healthy habits with long-lasting benefits that can be introduced to children from a young age.
"It's about making exercise fun," said Dan Clay, owner of Dangerously Fit for Kids.
According to Clay – who remembers his childhood spent in the street riding bikes, or playing rugby with his mates – organised activities like boot camps and fun runs are a great way to get young children interested in exercise, and away from devices and screens.
The Sun-Herald Summer Starter is a fun run taking place in Sydney on November 1. The run, which takes place on the first day of summer, has 5km and 10km courses on offer that are open to both runners and walkers.
"We try to make a game out of it," Mr Clay said. "The kids feel like they're playing but they're also getting a good workout at the same time."
