DISNEY characters have been recruited to encourage North-East children to take more exercise this summer.

The 10 Minute Shake Up campaign, launched jointly by Public Health England and Disney, followed a survey which shows that two in five (41 per cent) North-East children aged between five and 15 do less than 30 minutes moderate to vigorous exercise each day.

This breaks down to 45 per cent of girls and 36 per cent of boys in the region.

The campaign uses popular Disney characters alongside Change4Life animations to get children doing more 10 minute bursts of exercise, to help them reach the recommended 60 minutes or more of physical activity they need each day.

Results released today reveal that almost half of North-East parents surveyed (41 per cent) with children aged 5-11 say the most frequent complaint from their children during the summer holidays is ‘I’m bored’.

Whilst many parents in the region want to use the summer holidays to try and encourage their children to get more physically active (64 per cent), almost half (47 per cent) are concerned about the cost.

To join in, parents should search Change4life and sign up for the free 10 Minute Shake Up Pack, which includes a stopwatch (to time activity), Disney inspired activity cards (with fun ideas for games and activities) and a wall chart and stickers (to track progress during the summer).

There are also loads of games and activities online at the Change4life 10 Minute Shake Up Zone to keep children active all holiday.

Consultant in health improvement at Public Health England’s North-East Centre Claire Sullivan said: “Encouraging children to do a few extra 10-minute bursts of activity every day can make a real difference to their health.”