Child physiotherapist Elizabeth Williams spends much of her time working to improve the lives of youngsters.

 New data released by medibank shows that since 2012 girls aged 10-19 have had a 31 per cent increase in ACL repairs. Looking at girls between 10-14, there's been a 52 per cent increase. It is thought this rise is partly due to more girls playing contact sports.

According to a 2016 report released by Active Healthy Kids Australia, they may be spending more time in front of a screen – and less time outdoors – than you think. The research group gave Australian kids a shockingly low grade – D minus – for physical activity. (Other lazybones include the UK, Canada, and the United States.)

Children and adolescents who carry backpacks aren’t at higher risk of developing back pain, according to a study published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM). Researchers found no evidence to suggest a link between carrying a heavy backpack and back pain in these age groups.

Junior sport is taking a heavy toll on WA children, with a landmark report showing a rise in injuries and doctors warning that kids as young as 10 are undergoing knee reconstructions and other surgery.

Getting kids away from screens and being physically active is not only good for their mental and physical health, it also boosts their academic prowess.

Physical activity in children has been linked to improved scholastic performance, following two separate studies conducted to analyse the impact of exercise in children and youth.

Getting kids away from screens and being physically active is not only good for their mental and physical health, it also boosts their academic prowess. So says two separate research papers - the Copenhagen Consensus Statement¹, which gathered research from a variety of academic disciplines to determine the effects of physical activity in children and youth, and the Active Brains study² released in November by the University of Granada.

With the official start of the school year at the end of the month, parents will no doubt be thinking about book lists, uniform requirements and the dreaded lunch box dilemma––healthy items their kids will actually eat! But two often overlooked areas of the back to school discussion are arguably two of the most important—what type and how they use their backpack, and what they wear on their feet.