Parents and carers should ensure that physical activity is part of the everyday routine for kids and families during the COVID-19 lockdown, reports a new study.

‘Parents and carers should include physical activity into kids' daily routines and encourage the whole family to participate while adhering to regulations on physical distancing and access to outdoor spaces.’

Travel by public transport was down by more than half - 59% - over the same period.




While these and other restrictions are in keeping with the global effort to halt the spread of COVID-19, the researchers found that they were having the effect of reducing still further what was often already low levels of physical activity in children.
The researchers make a number of recommendations to families, health professionals, teachers and policy-makers on promoting healthy activity, including:
- taking the opportunity to go outdoors, while observing distancing regulations
- incorporating physical activity into children's daily routines - supported by the use of electronic media - and breaking up extended sedentary periods every 30 to 60 minutes; families should also be encouraged to join in while observing distancing regulations
- keeping children's bedtime and rising time consistent, keeping screens out of the rooms where they sleep and avoiding screen use before bedtime
- health professionals recommending current guidelines to parents, family members and caregivers
- promotion by governments of healthy movement behaviors in children as part of response strategies and public messages
- regular media messages promoting physical activity
Professor John Reilly, of Strathclyde's School of Psychological Sciences & Health, is the sole UK participant in the study.
Advertisement
"It's important that people make whatever use of their environment they can and take the opportunities they can to keep the physical activity going. The vast majority of children have access to outdoor spaces they can still use.
Advertisement
"We have found that they are much less active on the non-school days of weekends and holidays; our concern is that they are missing out not only in education but also in activity."
Source-Eurekalert