Product news: 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
New research* commissioned on behalf of TomTom, reveals that 80% of parents with kids 5-18 say their kids 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.
With the launch of Be Active, 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.”
Martine Verweij, founder of Kids Run Free said, “Having TomTom as a national sponsor is an amazing opportunity for us. We are passionate about getting children active and have found TomTom to value this same passion. Together we will bring more running events to children across the country, either in their local communities or directly into their schools giving them more opportunity to engage with sport and physical activity on a regular base. We want children to learn that sport is fun and help them to become happier, healthier and more confident children and take this into their adult lives.”
For more information, visit www.tomtom.com and Kid’s Run Free
*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1131 GB parents of children aged 18 or under, of which 898 had children aged 5 to 18. Fieldwork was undertaken from the 16th February – 18th February 2015. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
** According to the NHS, the recommended physical activity for kids 5-18 is at least 60 minutes (1 hour) a day. This should range between moderate-intensity activity, such as cycling and playground activities and vigorous-intensity activity, such as fast running and tennis.
