I was reading an article this morning on physical activity and I had to share it with you. It really got me thinking that some good has come out of this weird situation we’re all facing right now. Yes, there has been a lot of bad, of course. But we must look to the good if we’re to come through this and learn from this…
The guys over at Black Mountain surveyed roughly 2,000 British parents about their children’s attitudes to outdoor activities.
What are the experts saying about kids and physical activity?
This came following the warning from the World Health Organisation prior to COVID-19 that four in five children (aged 11 to 17) simply aren’t doing enough physical exercise. We know this isn’t great, but could be damaging their health, brain development and social skills.
And it was only November last year when Bristol University shared their research that said Primary School children have been becoming more inactive. Alarmingly, kids age 6 to 11 years old are losing 1x hour of exercise every week with every year that passes!!
What did Black Mountain find about kids and physical activity?
For me the most interesting takeaway from this study was that kids are more inclined than ever to get outdoors. It doesn’t matter why; cycling, jogging, walking or venturing on nature trails.
A massive 9 in 10 (89%) of the 2,000 mothers and fathers interviewed in our research during the coronavirus lockdown now believe that that their children are currently interested or very interested in doing outdoor exercise .
The study suggests that it is lockdown itself that is leading to families taking part in outdoor exercise and physical activity.
More than 4 in 5 parents (82%) feel confident about taking their children outdoors for physical activity. Interestingly, dads were found to be slightly more confident than mums. However, 21% of those are confident taking their children to the local playground or for a local picnic; something which is a bit of a blurry subject right now.. what can you and can’t you do.
It was also found that families living in Northern Ireland and the South West have the most restless kids.
Sadly though, a similar survey by the same company found that 17% of young children are anxious about leaving the house right now. This is just heartbreaking.
The research didn’t highlight any concerns around families’ abilities to do basic exercises, such as walking or jogging. However it seems parents might not be completely clued up when it comes to cycling safety. Commonly misunderstanding social distancing and the performance benefits of a bike being correctly fitted to their child.
Only time will tell how the latest easing of lockdown restrictions will have affected the country. But it’s important that we all get outdoors, whether that’s going for a walk or something more physical. Just keep your distance and stay alert.
