A majority of children and adolescents worldwide are not accumulating the recommended physical activity guidelines of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day.
Trends in measures of muscular fitness among youth are on the decline. Too many playgrounds and sports fields are empty or not used, and physical education is considered an expendable part of the school curriculum. Consequently, the youth of today are more familiar with controlling a video game than they are throwing a ball.
The result – children are weaker, slower, and heavier than their peers of yesteryear, and the prevalence of physical, psychosocial, and cognitive health issues in school-age children is now commonplace.
The World Health Organization now recognizes physical inactivity as the fourth leading risk factor for mortality from noncommunicable diseases, and the economic costs associated with physical inactivity among children are staggering.
The lasting effects of physical inactivity during childhood and adolescence can result in a lifetime of preventable health issues.
The call for action to address this crisis has never been more urgent. Yet, we remain stuck in mindset grounded in guidelines that focus almost solely on the achievement of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. For years the 60 minute threshold has been seen as a benchmark, and over those years the tide of physical inactivity has continued to rise.
It is said that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.” A change in attitude is urgently needed because what we are currently doing clearly isn’t working.
It’s time to change our approach so we are better prepared to identify and treat youth who are physically inactive before they fall too far down the path to chronic disease. Physical inactivity is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by an array of contributing factors. In this article, we discuss three main areas that are collectively driving the pandemic of physical inactivity in youth, to help us understand and address this public health crisis.
Low levels of activity
The first component to consider is levels of physical activity that fall below current public health recommendations. Children who are not meeting minimal recommendations for physical activity should be identified as having a premorbid condition, and then may be treated with the same energy and resolve as a hypertensive child or a teenage smoker in order to prevent future issues.
Simply asking physically overweight boys and girls to “walk to school” or “play outside” unfortunately is not enough. Structured and innovative exercise programmes are needed to target specific deficiencies, maintain participation, and promote healthy lifestyle choices, regardless of body size. Efforts that focus solely on obesity will miss many at-risk children. Children who are found to have a deficit in physical activity levels but who currently have a body mass index within normal limits must be targeted as well.
Lower levels of muscular strength and power
Increasing physical activity levels in children is a great starting point. However, a certain amount of muscular strength and power is need to perform basic physical tasks like jumping, climbing, kicking, and throwing proficiently. Children who are less active display lower levels of muscular strength, and lower levels of muscular strength and power means they are more likely to remain inactive, experience functional limitations, and suffer activity-related injuries during free play and sport as they get older.
This again highlights the need to identify at-risk children and target them for interventions designed to enhance muscular fitness. You will just need to observe a PE lesson or sports training session to see the stronger, more competent children. Improvements in strength and power will positively impact physical activity trajectories so inactive youth are able to catch up with their stronger peers.
Physical Illiteracy
The term physical literacy has been broadly used to capture the attributes and characteristics that influence physical activity throughout the life course.
The term physical illiteracy incorporates the interrelated and negative influences seen in weak and inactive children and describes the lack of confidence, competence, motivation, and knowledge to move proficiently in a variety of physical activities. Without minimum physical activity and muscular strength, children will be less able to climb a playground structure or kick a football. The less they engage in active play, the less fit they become and the less likely they are to experience the joy of movement.
Since the concept of physical illiteracy involves psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains of learning, interventions need to be reinforced with effective pedogogical, motivational, and social strategies so inactive children can learn the value of physical activity. The quantity of physical activity prescribed needs to be balanced with the quality of the movement experience.
Thing’s need to change
Since behaviours established during childhood (good and bad) tend to track into adulthood, we need to identify and treat inactive kids early in life to prevent the expected cardiometabolic, musculoskeletal, and psychosocial consequences later in life.
Traditionally any interventions have been triggered only after a child has already become overweight, or displayed symptoms related to obesity. This is simply too late, we cannot afford to wait for these signs to address at-risk children. Traditionally interventions have tended to focus on one particular area and overlook the interconnected relationships between physical activity levels, muscular strength, and movement proficiency.
Strategies that only address one component are less likely to result in desired outcomes. For example, walking programs that attempt to increase physical activity levels in children but overlook the critical importance of enhancing muscular strength and improving movement skills often have limited long-term benefits. On the flip side, exercise programs that include both physical and cognitive training are more likely to improve health outcomes, enhance strength and movement skills, boost fitness performance, and reduce activity-related injuries in children.
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