When can my kids start going for a run with me?

Running with your kids can be a great way to spend time together and build some healthy habits. But when is the right age is to start?

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just choosing a number. But here are some principles to help you both decide when they can start.

What do the physical activity guidelines say?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends kids aged five to 17 do at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise every day.

This should mainly be aerobic (think running, cycling and active play). But it also needs to include muscle- and bone-strengthening exercise at least three times per week, such as contact sports, sprinting, or even weight training.

Read more: Is it OK for kids to lift weights? At what age and how heavy? Here's what parents need to know

Are kids’ bodies ready to run long distances?

Most kids spend their early years performing unstructured activity that involves sprinting, jumping and changing direction. This means children should have the strength to start running.

But there is a key difference between kids’ activity and jogging or running for longer distances: it involves long bouts of continuous activity. Kids’ unstructured play involves short bursts of intense activity interspersed with periods of recovery.

Children aren’t just small adults: they regulate temperature differently and can be more prone to overheating. So it’s important to pay attention to hydration and take regular drink breaks.

Another difference is that most exercise children do is play-based, rather than formal “exercise”. Free play not only helps children meet physical activity guidelines but also improves their motor skill development and social abilities.

This doesn’t mean running is bad – it just shouldn’t replace all their free play.

What about injuries?

Running has a high injury rate. Almost half of adult runners will get an injury each year.

Among teens who did regular running training, one paper found 18% sustained an injury over the eight-month study period.

Most running injuries are known as “overuse” injuries. These are often caused by people running too much too quickly, without letting their body adapt and get stronger first.

There is some evidence suggesting children with weaker muscles around their knees and hips might be more prone to injury.

Girls also seem to be more likely to get injured than boys. It’s unclear why, but it may be linked to girls’ lower muscle mass, resulting in more load on their bones and joints.

Children should always start small and progress slowly over time, as doing too much too soon might lead to injury.

What are the benefits of kids running?

Kids who exercise more (running or otherwise) have:

So the benefits of running are likely to outweigh the potential negatives – especially if it’s approached safely.

What age is appropriate?

Because biological readiness varies between kids, there is no universal “right age”.

However the evidence suggests children under five shouldn’t need structured exercise. Their exercise should come almost entirely from play.

Some researchers suggest children aged five to seven can incorporate one to two play-based running activities into their week, such as tag or stuck in the mud. However, they should avoid continuous running until they are a little older.

By ages seven to nine, children can start going on runs lasting 20 to 30 minutes, up to three times a week. By this age they should have the strength to run continuously without a high risk of injury.

By age ten to 12, they can increase this to three to five runs per week that last 20 to 40 minutes at a time. However the distance should be capped at around 5km at a time.

At this age, running should be complemented by other sports that involve high-impact and multi-directional activities. This will help avoid overuse injuries and promote well-rounded physical development.

From 13 to 17, teens can progress running on a more individual basis. If they enjoy it, they could run three to five times a week and extend some runs up to 8km.

They should still be completing other activities. One option is to take a couple of months off from running each year to focus on other sports.

Remember, these are guidelines, not hard rules. What matters most is whether your child or teen is physically ready, interested and pain-free.

How to safely build up your kids’ running?

• Start with time, not distance. Run for five to ten minutes (or even less) with walking breaks. Slowly extend the time over several weeks.

• Use run/walk intervals. Running for one minute and walking for one minute might make it more enjoyable and help them regulate their temperature.

• Increase volume gradually. Increasing your running distance by more than around 10% every 30 days will increase injury risk. So try and keep under this threshold.

• Let your child lead. Allow them to choose when to run, when to walk, and when to stop.

• Mix it up so running isn’t your child’s only form of exercise.

The goal is to build lifelong exercisers, not Olympic runners. Start slow, and let them guide you on how much they should be doing. If they don’t enjoy running, look for something different.