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.

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.

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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........

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