Four in five children ‘less active during lockdown’, parents say

Due to the closure of schools, sports clubs and youth organisations, 79 per cent of parents reported that their children were currently doing less than 60 minutes every day. 

A survey of more than 1,000 parents with children aged 18 and under found that 60 per cent said their children are active, but for 30 minutes or less.

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A further 11 per cent say their children are currently doing no activity at all.

As schools prepare to reopen on Monday (8 March), 81 per cent of parents asked said they now believe that schools should be ensuring that each pupil is physically active for at least 30 minutes every day while in school, with 78 per cent calling for schools to provide at least two hours per week of physical education to every pupil.

The research also highlights a lack of awareness among parents as to how much physical activity children should be doing. 

Chief Medical Officer guidelines recommend that children should be doing an average of 60 minutes of physical activity every day, however only 38 per cent of parents are aware of this target with 44 per cent believing the target to be 30 minutes or less.

The Youth Sport Trust and other sporting and youth organisations are calling for the remainder of this academic year in schools to be treated as an “active recovery term” for young people, with a renewed focus on sport, physical activity and physical education, and time outdoors.

Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “We know that the last year has taken a significant toll on young people’s wellbeing. That so many parents have seen a decline in young people’s engagement in physical activity is extremely concerning. It is especially worrying that as many as one in 10 parents believe their children are now completely inactive.

“To support schools and teachers, the Youth Sport Trust and partners including national governing bodies of sport, charities and activity providers have united behind the concept of an Active Recovery term, characterised by daily physical activity, time outdoors and a greater focus on physical education and sport. Together we will be making ideas, content and resources which support engagement, learning and recovery, easy to access and free to use.

“In the longer term, we continue to call on the government to make a bold and courageous commitment to a national ambition for our young people to be the happiest and most active in the world. This should be underpinned by a renewed national strategy to tackle inactivity and recover young people’s wellbeing.”