The gadgets to get kids off the couch

Getting children to be more active is a central aim of the Government's new get-fit campaign. So, which of these new gadgets can transform couch-potato children?

Posture

Kids DynAir Cushion (£9.99. Ring 0870 2415471 or log on to www.4mywayoflife.com).

Why it works: up to 50 per cent of secondary schoolchildren complain of back pain (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy), after carrying rucksacks and slouching in front of computers.

Exercise stretches the disks that act as shock absorbers to the spine, ensuring they receive nutrients and oxygen to stay in working order. Even just sitting on this helps counteract poor posture.

Rating: **

Flexibility

Product: Kids Yoga Starter Kit (£14.99; www.4mywayoflife).

How it works: instructor Leah Kalish talks seven- to 12-year-olds through a work-out, showing how to use the enclosed mat and strap to perform stretches and breathing techniques. Improves flexibility and and co-ordination.

Rating: ***

Reaction Times

Product: Reaction Balls (from £6.95 each; www.physicalcompany.co.uk 01494 769222.)

How they work: Hand/eye co-ordination and reaction times are crucial in most sports. These rubber balls come in 6.5cm-10cm sizes and have uneven surfaces with bumps and nodules to produce erratic and dynamic bounces when you throw them.

The idea is to catch them as quickly as you can, regardless of which direction they are heading; the better children get at mastering them, the better their skills will be in netball, football and tennis. Leading sports stars use similar tools for developing hand/eye tracking and co-ordination.

Rating:****

Balance/Co-ordination

Product: The Wobbler (£39.99; www.physical company.co.uk) How it works: improves co-ordination and balance, as well as increasing strength in the ankle joints and leg muscles.

Standing with both feet on the tilting platform, the idea is to wobble the equipment sideways, backwards and forwards so that you manoeuvre plastic balls through a mini maze and into holes. Easier said than done.

Rating: ****

Speed/Strength

Product: Asics Gel 1090 children's trainers (01925 817009).

How they work: more than 35,000 children now take part in the Norwich Union Sportshall Athletics programme (www. sportshall.org). Paula Radcliffe, Denise Lewis, and Mark Lewis-Francis all started their careers in one of these indoor Sportshall leagues.
Rating: *****

And for the reluctant...

Products: Hula Hoop (£3.35) and skipping rope (£6.25; both from www. physicalcompany.co.uk) How they work: two old classics, still good sense.

Rating: *****