IN today’s digital age, screens have become an integral part of our daily lives, offering entertainment, education and social connectivity at our fingertips.

However, recent research has revealed British children get less than four hours of exercise a week outside of school, but spend more than 14 hours looking at screens.

This shift has raised alarms among health professional, educators and parents alike, as the allure of digital devices often outweighs the appeal of outdoor play or exercise.

A poll, of 2,000 parents with children aged six to 17, found kids spend an average of five and a half hours watching TV, five hours playing video games and four hours and 20 minutes scrolling social media a week.

That combined figure dwarfs the amount of time spent exercising and the three hours and 29 minutes spent reading books.

Shockingly, four in 10 parents (38 per cent) think their children would consider video games to be ‘a form of exercise’.

To encourage families to get active, AXA Health has teamed up with father and Sky Sports News presenter Simon Thomas, and his son Ethan, who took on a series of challenges, testing their strength, coordination and reaction times.

Following the day, Simon emphasised the importance of setting a positive example to his children, adding he and Ethan try to go on a run two or three times a week together, using it as a bonding exercise.

He said: “Most parents will know this, but our youngsters from the moment they’re born are mimicking and learning from what we do, how we behave, and what our habits are.

“One of the big challenges now is being present - what I mean by that is being intentional about your time with them because there's lots of pull on our attention.

“When it comes to exercise, you've got to practice what you preach as a parent.”

Dr John Burke, chief medical officer at AXA Health, which commissioned the study, said: “In this digital era, it’s particularly challenging to encourage kids to go outside, especially in the winter months.

“But children getting outdoors, playing sport or otherwise being physical, is just as important outside of school hours as it is inside of them.

“Parents are important role models for children and we’re also guilty of sometimes overusing technology, like our phones, too. Popping down digital devices and getting outside to do an activity together is a great start.”

The research found almost seven in 10 (69 per cent) said it can be a struggle to motivate their children to exercise. Parents even think their children would be happy to go for more than three days without setting foot outside for an outdoor activity.

More than half (53 per cent) have resorted to giving children ‘rewards’, or otherwise incentivising them to get more active. And 63 per cent believe their own exercise levels as adults have a direct impact on how much their children do.

The research does highlight when kids do get out more, 41 per cent said they see an improvement in their child’s sleep, while 33 per cent of children become ‘more positive’ in general.