Children’s levels of physical activity have returned to their pre-pandemic levels, according to new research from the University of Bristol released in April.
According to the study, 41% of children in the UK were getting the recommended hours of weekly physical activity by the summer of 2022. This is an increase from the 37% of children immediately after the pandemic. However, the current statistics show that most children are still not getting enough physical activity each week.
The study also revealed that children are still more inactive during the week than they were before the pandemic – with children spending an average of 13 extra minutes a day being inactive than before 2020.
Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the study measured children’s physical activity for seven months, asking children and their carers to wear accelerometers to measure their levels of activity.
The study also found that parents were getting an average of eight more minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity at the weekend than they were before the pandemic.
The study’s lead author Russ Jago, professor of physical activity and public health, said: “It’s encouraging that on average children’s physical activity levels are back to where they were before the pandemic. But it’s taken nearly a year since the last public lockdown was lifted, and children’s increased sedentary time during the week has persisted, which is an area of concern for policymakers, schools, and parents.”
The full story, as reported by The Early Years Alliance can be read here.