Exercise levels for children have remained below the recommended levels since the last Covid-19 lockdown was lifted, according to a University of Bristol study. The 'surprising' research found that by the end of 2021 just 36 per cent were meeting the national recommended physical activity guidelines.
It discovered that 10 to 11-year-olds took part in on average just 56 minutes – less than the recommended hour – of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity during weekdays from last April to December. This is a drop of 13 per cent compared to levels that children of a similar age were doing before the pandemic.
Senior author Russ Jago, Professor of Physical Activity and Public Health in the School for Policy Studies, said: “It was surprising the extent children’s physical activity levels had fallen after the pandemic, indicating that changes in physical activity patterns did not revert to previous levels once freedoms had been restored.
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“These findings highlight a greater need to work with children, families, schools, and communities to maximise the opportunities for children to be physically active, as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Children were also less active at the weekend than during the week, taking part in 46 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity during weekend days, which is around eight minutes lower than the activity of children who were measured using the same methods pre-pandemic.
The study also shows that there has been an increase in sedentary time, with children spending 25 minutes longer being inactive per day, than previously during the week. However, the study found that there was no change in their parents’ physical activity levels.
The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend all children and young people should take part in an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. This is activity that gets children slightly hot, slightly sweaty, and out of breath.
They also advise children should limit the amount of time they spend being inactive. The study’s first author Dr Ruth Salway, a statistician at the university’s School for Policy Studies, said: “The key strength of this study was we used data collected before and after the pandemic, using the same methods and in the same schools.
“The data clearly demonstrates children’s physical activity had deteriorated once the restrictions were lifted. This emphasises the importance of understanding how such habits change over time, so appropriate support and interventions can be introduced as normality resumes.”
