Kids still spending too much time on the couch: study

By Pol Allingham via SWNS

Most children are still spending too much time on the sofa despite activity rates returning to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new study.

University of Bristol researchers found that by summer last year just 41 percent of children were meeting the national recommended physical activity guidelines of an hour’s exercise a day.

Immediately after the pandemic just 37 percent reached the target which includes moderate to vigorous exercise, defined as activity that gets children slightly hot, slightly sweaty and out of breath.

Despite the overall improvement, children are now more sedentary during the week. They are physically inactive for an extra 13 minutes compared to the pandemic.

Parents, meanwhile, did eight minutes more moderate to vigorous physical activity every weekend than before the pandemic.

UK Chief Medical Officers warned children should limit the amount of time they spend sitting or lying down, except when they’re sleeping.

Lead author Russ Jago, UB 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 policy makers, schools, and parents.”

The physical activity levels of 393 children aged 10 to 11 years old were measured between June and December 2021, and a further 436 kids of the same age were assessed between January and July last year. They were picked from 28 schools in the Bristol area.

Children and a parent or carer wore an accelerometer, measuring the acceleration and movement of the participants, and answered a questionnaire.

This data was compared with pre-pandemic data taken from nearly 1,300 children and their parents from 50 schools in the same area.

Co-author of the study, Dr. Ruth Salway, Senior Research Associate in Epidemiology and Statistics, said: “The findings suggest physical activity is susceptible to disruptions in provision and leisure opportunities, and highlight that still not enough 10 to 11-year- olds meet the guidelines.

“On the flipside, it’s great to see how the pandemic may have encouraged parents to be more active and it looks like these habits may be continuing.”

The research was published in International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity.