by Dylan W.
COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus, is an infectious disease that has had a massive impact on how Canadians live their lives. For youth especially, it flipped upside down their idea of normal life. In March, nearly all Canadian public schools were closed, organized sports and recreation activities were cancelled. Community lockdowns ensued which meant children were spending almost all of their time at home. Due to these sudden changes, physical activity among youth decreased and sedentary behavior including screen time increased (Moore et al., 2020). This blog post will discuss how physical activity decreased as a result of COVID-19 and why it should be prioritized. Also discussed is the relationship between sedentary behaviour and physical activity, and parents’ roles in supporting physical activity during a pandemic.
It is not surprising that a lockdown with stay at home orders resulted in decreased physical activity. For many schools during the pandemic, the switch to online learning meant physical education was neglected or non-existent (Dunton, Do, & Wang, 2020). This is unfortunate because physical education classes are especially important for youth who do not engage in sports or recreation activities. A well-programmed physical education curriculum ensures that each child is getting at least some moderate-vigorous physical activity each session (Mitchell, 2019). For the future, it is important for physical education to remain a priority during a lockdown through online or outdoor sessions. An absence of organized sports and recreation activities added fuel to the fire. Organized sport increases physical activity levels and decreases sedentary behavior (Mitchell, 2019). It is through sport that is often how youth achieve their exercise guideline goals (Mitchell, 2019).
It is important to discuss why physical activity should be prioritized, even during a pandemic. It has been found that even short-term changes to physical activity and sedentary behavior can become permanent, leading to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in children (Dunton, Do, & Wang, 2020). Not only should exercise be deemed important for its physical importance but also for its cognitive effects and mood regulation. There is growing research showing that physical activity improves cognitive function for youth ages 6-13 and has a positive effect on academic achievement (Physical Activity Guidelines For Americans, 2018) It has also been shown that exercise can reduce anxiety, reduce risk of depression, improve sleep, and improve quality of life in people of all ages (Physical Activity Guidelines For Americans, 2018) These factors become very important during such a time of unease and uncertainty. This is why it is important that Canadian youth follow the Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines which indicate a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day (Guerrero et al., 2017).
Along with the physical activity minimum, the Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines also suggest less than 2 hours of recreational screen time per day, and 9–11 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night for those aged 5–13 years old or 8-10 hours for those aged 14-17. It has been shown that sedentary behaviour, recreational screen time, and sleep in children and youth has increased since COVID-19 (Moore et al., 2020). While more sleep is not a bad thing, more sedentary behaviour and screen time is alarming and indicates change is necessary. Especially when considering that youth who meet all recommendations have better physical, cognitive, and mental health than youth who meet 1 or less guidelines (Guerrero et al., 2017). The primary reason why excessive sedentary behaviour and screen time are so dangerous is because of their effect on structured and unstructured activities. A decrease in structured and unstructured activities in youth directly lowers physical activity levels and indirectly lowers physical activity by impeding motor skill development and physical literacy (Mitchell, 2019).
While many parents continued to work either remotely or in the office during the pandemic, making sure their children are engaged in productive behaviours may not be high on their list of priorities. Without school, organized sports and recreation activities there is a lack of structure that must be made up for. Structured activities are important in effective positive youth development (Eccles et al., 2003). Therefore, the pandemic has placed a lot of pressure on parents to provide structure for their children. While this poses a challenge, especially for uninvolved parents, it is definitely important. According to a national study, parental perceived capability to support healthy movement behaviors and restrict screen time were the best predictors of adherence and non-adherence to Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines (Guerrero et al., 2020). Parent facilitation of a child’s time spent outdoors was also associated with higher youth physical activity levels (Mitchell, 2019). The importance of exercise should not only be encouraged by parents but demonstrated as well by parents’ participation in physical activities with their children. It has been shown that setting family physical activity goals (ex. step count) and using reinforcing strategies are effective in physical activity interventions (Mitchell, 2019).
With things returning to a new normal for now, the concerns surrounding physical inactivity among youth during lockdowns should be considered, given the potential for lockdowns in the future. Going forward, if there is another lockdown, schools should incorporate online physical education when possible, and explore alternative methods to ensure physical activity is a priority. While screen time is basically inevitable in today’s age, it is important for parents to provide structure by limiting screen times, promoting, and facilitating physical activity for the physical, cognitive, and mental health benefits.
References
Eccles, J. S., Barber, B. L., Stone, M., & Hunt, J. (2003). Extracurricular Activities and Adolescent Development. Journal of Social Issues, 59(4), 865–889. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0022-4537.2003.00095.x
Dunton, G., Do, B., & Wang, S. (2020). Early Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in U.S. Children. doi:10.33774/coe-2020-q6pz0
Guerrero, M. D., Vanderloo, L. M., Rhodes, R. E., Faulkner, G., Moore, S. A., & Tremblay, M. S. (2020). Canadian children’s and youth’s adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: A decision tree analysis. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 9(4), 313-321. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2020.06.005
Mitchell, J. A. (2019). Physical Inactivity in Childhood From Preschool To Adolescence. ACSMʼs Health & Fitness Journal, 23(5), 21-25. doi:10.1249/fit.0000000000000507
Moore, S. A., Faulkner, G., Rhodes, R. E., Brussoni, M., Chulak-Bozzer, T., Ferguson, L. J., . . . Tremblay, M. S. (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 virus outbreak on movement and play behaviours of Canadian children and youth: A national survey. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-34730/v1
U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (2018). Physical Activity Guidelines For Americans. 2nd Edition. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
Youth Development Through Recreation and Sport 