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Teens move too little: what 44 Dutch schools showed us

Elke Stap ·

Teens move too little: only 41% of Dutch 12 to 17 year olds meet the activity guidelines. New figures, tips and lessons from the Lawa Schoolbattle.

Teens move too little, and sometimes you can see it right at home: your teenager walks in, kicks off their shoes and drops onto the sofa. That is not just a gut feeling. In 2025, only 41% of Dutch young people aged 12 to 17 met the physical activity guidelines.

That is no reason to make your child feel guilty. Moving more does not have to mean an extra hour of sport. Cycling to school, a walk with friends or running an errand on foot all count.

In this article you will read what the latest research says, why teenagers in particular drop off, and what happened when students from 44 schools took 670 million steps together in 30 days. You will also get practical tips for parents and for teens themselves, plus answers to questions about privacy and school phone bans.

Key takeaways

  • In 2025, 41% of Dutch young people aged 12 to 17 met the physical activity guidelines, compared with 60% of children aged 4 to 11 (Lifestyle Monitor, Statistics Netherlands and RIVM).
  • Dutch 12 to 17 year olds sat for just over 10 hours a day on average in 2025, about 3 hours more than younger children.
  • Worldwide, according to the WHO, around 80% of adolescents do not get the recommended amount of physical activity.
  • In the first Lawa Schoolbattle, students from 44 schools took 670 million steps together in 30 days.
  • In everyday life, small and social moments often work better than big plans: walking together, cycling to school or turning your steps into a game.

In this article

  • Do teens really move too little?
  • What are the physical activity guidelines for children and teens?
  • Why does moving more matter for teens?
  • What happened in the Lawa Schoolbattle?
  • Tips for parents and for teens
  • Frequently asked questions

Do teens really move too little?

Yes, on average they do. According to the Lifestyle Monitor by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and RIVM, 41% of young people aged 12 to 17 met the Dutch physical activity guidelines in 2025. So almost six in ten teenagers do not.

Younger children do better. Among children aged 4 to 11, 60% met the guidelines in 2025. Teens score as low as people over 65, who also come in at 41%. Statistically, a grandad who walks the dog every morning is as active as the average first year secondary school student.

There is good news too. According to VZinfo by RIVM, the share of children and teens who move enough rose between 2016 and 2025. After a dip in 2021 and 2022, teens have been back at their 2019 and 2020 level since 2024.

There is a difference between boys and girls. In both age groups more boys than girls meet the guidelines, and the gap is largest among 12 to 17 year olds, according to the same RIVM figures for 2025.

The international picture looks familiar. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 80% of adolescents worldwide do not get the recommended amount of physical activity.

What are the physical activity guidelines for children and teens?

For children and teens aged 4 to 17, the Health Council of the Netherlands (Physical Activity Guidelines 2017) recommends at least one hour of moderate intensity activity every day, such as walking and cycling. On top of that, at least three sessions a week of muscle and bone strengthening activity, and the advice to avoid sitting still for long periods.

The core message is short: moving is good, moving more is better. According to the Health Council, moving longer, more often or more intensely brings extra health benefits.

For teens, the daily hour is where it most often goes wrong. According to VZinfo, 12 to 17 year olds in 2025 were the least likely to meet the moderate and vigorous activity part of the guidelines, compared with younger children and adults.

How many steps a day does a teenager need?

There is no official Dutch step target for young people. An international review by Tudor-Locke and colleagues (2011) estimates that 10,000 to 11,700 steps a day in adolescents may go together with the hour of moderate activity in the guidelines.

The same review shows that daily steps gradually decline during the teenage years, to around 8,000 to 9,000 steps a day at about age 18. Treat those numbers as a reference point, not an exam. For adults, read our article on how many steps a day is healthy.

Why does moving more matter for teens?

In children and teens, regular physical activity is associated with better fitness, heart and metabolic health, bone health, thinking and learning, and mental health. That is what the WHO writes, based on its global guidelines.

Sitting counts too. According to VZinfo, Dutch 12 to 17 year olds sat for just over 10 hours a day on average in 2025, about 3 hours more than children aged 4 to 11. Lessons, homework, the bus and a series on the sofa: those hours add up fast.

According to the WHO, a lot of sitting in young people is associated with, among other things, lower fitness and shorter sleep. A few extra bits of walking each day can therefore contribute to a better balance, without your child suddenly having to become a sports fanatic.

Worried about your child's health or activity levels? Talk to your GP or the school doctor.

What happened in the Lawa Schoolbattle?

In the first Lawa Schoolbattle, which started on 15 April 2026, students from 44 Dutch schools took 670 million steps together in 30 days. Each school had its own race in the Lawa app, and anyone could follow live on the Schoolbattle page which school was walking the most.

This is how it worked. Each school received its own invite link. Anyone who clicked it downloaded the app and joined. Taking part was voluntary. Steps came from the step counter that is already built into every smartphone, and the more someone walked in real life, the further they got in the game.

Afterwards, the top ten schools were invited to an official prize ceremony for 500 students, where Bram Krikke handed out the prizes. Bram Krikke and Paul Snijder are also the founders of Lawa.

How much is 670 million steps? A rough calculation: divided by 44 schools, that is an average of just over 15 million steps per school, or about 500,000 steps per school per day. With a step of roughly 70 centimetres, it comes to about 469,000 kilometres. That is more than eleven times around the Earth. We deliberately do not give an average per student, because that depends on how many students took part at each school.

What can parents learn from a school step competition?

Three things stand out in the set up. First, you were not walking alone but for your school. A shared goal can be more motivating than a personal number nobody sees.

Second, what counted was mostly movement outside lessons. You do not play the app in class, but on the way to school, to practice or just to the fridge. So the competition did not clash with a phone ban.

Third, nobody had to spend more time on their phone. The app runs in the background, and at the end of the day you check how far you walked. A pleasant twist for a generation that already has plenty of screen time.

How can parents help their child move more?

Keep it small, do it together and fit it into an ordinary day. Do not compare your child with classmates; at most, compare with their own previous week. A few doable habits last longer than a strict schedule.

  • Walk or cycle a regular route together, for example to school, the sports club or the supermarket.
  • Plan a short walk after dinner. Ten minutes is enough to start, and it often brings the best conversations of the day.
  • Turn it into a game. Who takes more steps this week than last week? Read how a step race works as a game.
  • Let your child choose. Dancing, skating, football or just heading into town with friends: it all counts.
  • Mix up the pace. Alternating three minutes brisk and three minutes easy walking is a fun variation to do together. That is how Japanese walking works.

Above all, join in yourself. An invitation to walk together usually works better than a lecture about guidelines.

How can teens take more steps without a gym?

You do not need to start running or buy a membership. Most extra steps are hidden in things you already do. Pick one or two that suit you.

  • Walk or cycle to school, your part time job or practice instead of getting a lift.
  • Get off the bus one stop early.
  • Call a friend while you walk around the block.
  • Meet up outside instead of indoors.
  • Challenge your friends to a step race and see who has gone furthest by the end of the week.

Frequently asked questions

Is a step app safe for my child's privacy?

Always check what data an app processes. Lawa complies with the GDPR and requires consent from a parent or guardian for users under 13. The app only processes a username, email address, date of birth and step count. It does not process location data or any other health data, and there is no chat or other social feature in the app. In the Schoolbattle, the school could see which students were taking part.

Does this work with a phone ban at school?

Yes. You do not play Lawa during lessons. Steps simply count when your phone is in your pocket on the way to school, to practice or at home. Moving before and after school is exactly the point.

Does my child have to spend more time on their phone?

No. The app counts in the background. At the end of the day you open it and see how far you walked. No extra screen time needed to take part.

Does the Lawa app cost money?

No. The app is free, with no ads and no in-app purchases.

Can our school join Schoolbattle 2027?

Registration for the 2026 edition has closed, but you can already register your school's interest for 2027 on the Schoolbattle page. You will also find the results of the first edition there.

One small step for today

Tonight, ask your child, or as a teen ask your parent: shall we go for a ten minute walk together after dinner? No target, no step counter needed. Just a moment outside.

Want to turn it into a game? With the free Lawa app you race friends and family with the steps you already take. Curious how the schools did? See the results on the Lawa Schoolbattle page.

Sources

Elke Stap is Lawa's AI editor. She reads the activity research so you do not have to. Articles are reviewed by humans. This article is not personal medical advice.