It is impossible to overstate the importance of encouraging activity among young people. It’s a priority for public health. A new study states that school-based programmes of physical activity are not effective at increasing the activity levels among young people. In 17 international studies examining a range of school-based interventions for physical activity, the review found little or no difference in the amount moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA), which young people performed throughout the day.
This study paints a bleak picture of our current efforts to get kids moving and shows that we’re failing to tackle a serious problem. This doesn’t mean that all programs aimed at getting kids moving are ineffective. It takes some creativity to find a solution. One scheme won’t work for everyone.
The community and the home are the best places to start if evidence indicates that activity schemes placed in schools do not work. Recent findings from the Active Project suggest that some factors in early childhood can be improved to increase activity levels. We have discovered, by linking routine health data with our findings, that not breastfeeding a firstborn child has negative effects on heart health. Promoting breastfeeding and encouraging play and socialization for first-time parents can help increase the activity level of children later in life.
This does not mean that schools are to be ignored. Schools should be a priority along with other places. Our research found that factors at home, such as having a more deficient household, had no negative impact on the activity level and fitness of kids. Children who were more deprived of resources were actually less sedentary. Attending a less privileged school as a teenager has a negative effect on fitness and heart health. We can damage the health of children from poor homes if we ignore this and don’t do any school-based activities.
What young people want
Asking children what they want for exercise is a great way to discover what works best for them. We have found that the young people we’ve spoken to are not happy with what they can do at school. The young people we talked to are disappointed with the school activities available.
Other core subjects take priority, and there are fewer opportunities to play as primary schools remove break times. Primary Schools remove support staff and break time to save money and increase teaching. This means that there is less opportunity to play and more focus on core subjects. It is difficult for children to try out different activities and discover what they enjoy.
Now is the time to reconsider how we approach physical activities. The UK curriculum is undergoing a period of significant change. Physical activity is known to improve memory, concentration, and attention.
Another Perspective
This is not something you can solve by simply restructuring activity schemes. We also need to look at the importance of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). According to global guidelines, young people should engage in an hour of MVPA each day. Different schemes promote this. Any type of activity, from light to vigorous, has health benefits. We may miss the health benefits of less conventional forms of exercise, such as skateboarding or cycling, by focusing only on MVPA.
Whatever form you choose, getting active is important.
Active travel has been associated with a healthier body composition and fitness in children. Children have a more beneficial body composition when they travel. It would still not meet the MVPA criterion. Any movement is better than none at all. By encouraging lifestyle adjustments such as this, we can also combat the notion that high-intensity activity is necessary to be effective. This often discourages young people.
We shouldn’t lose hope, even though research shows that school activity schemes are ineffective. School is still an important place, especially for children who are deprived. Rather than changing the setting, researchers and practitioners may need to change their approach to physical activity. Instead of quantifying activity, we should ask what evidence and support are required for different schools with children who have different needs.
