Return to school provides lift for student activity levels

Students show consistently higher physical activity levels during term time than holidays, highlighting schools' critical structural role in student health.

Key Findings

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Both boys and girls engage in more physical activity during the school year compared to the summer holidays.
As students age, activity level gaps tend to widen between term time and summer holidays, with older children becoming less active during the holiday months. However, factors including gender, age, and household income play a role in movement patterns.
Higher levels of activity during the school year may be attributed to structured routines and regular opportunities for physical activity (e.g., PE, breaks, class transitions, commuting).
Year round physical activity promotion could help support young people and prevent holiday weight gain. Strategies should consider how a student's background may impact their lifestyle and opportunities to stay active outside of term time.

Source*

Beets, M. W., Burkart, S., Pfledderer, C. et al. (2024). Differences in elementary-age children’s accelerometer-measured physical activity between school and summer: three-year findings from the What’s UP (Undermining Prevention) with summer observational cohort study. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21. 10.1186/s12966-024-01637-z

*All evidence briefs are informed by one or more peer reviewed research studies. All study publications used to inform this article are listed at the bottom of this brief with links.

Eight children in school uniforms run on grass towards the camera

Image: © Monkey Business Images via Canva.com

Aimee Eckert

31 Oct 2024

What's this about?

Schools play a key role in keeping children active, providing structured opportunities throughout the day that promote movement.

Recent US research reveals that students are consistently more physically active during term time compared to summer holidays.¹ This trend likely stems from the structured opportunities for physical activity provided by schools, including PE lessons, break time play, and daily commutes.

The study also highlights that summertime activity levels are influenced by students’ age, gender, and household income, emphasising the need for these factors to be considered in year-round physical activity promotion strategies.

Physical activity carries lifelong benefits for the health and well-being of children and adolescents.² Previous UK and international research shows that children and adolescents tend to be less active on non-school days^3,4 and gain more weight during summer holidays.^5,6 While reasons for weight gain are complex, this could be partially linked to reduced physical activity and increased sitting time during breaks.

To dive deeper into how summer holidays affect children’s activity levels, researchers tracked over 1,200 US students aged 5-14 from 17 schools during both term time and summer holidays.

They found students are generally less active during summer compared to the school year. They also identified that activity level differences between school and summertime tend to widen with age, possibly because older children gain more autonomy in choosing how they spend their leisure time and opt for activities like TV or smartphone use.

Other factors, including household income, play a role. Boys from high-income families, for instance, maintain more consistent activity levels across the calendar year as they age, likely due to greater access to structured summer programmes like camps and sports clubs.

While most research on summertime weight gain comes from the US,⁷ the findings highlight the crucial role schools play in promoting term-time physical activity. Understanding how summer holidays impact the physical activity patterns of different student groups could drive efforts in promoting year-round healthy lifestyles and support those most affected by the shift from school to summer.

Research Toolkit

How can you support your students in and out of school?

Key Findings

SCHOOL STRUCTURE HELPS GET KIDS MOVING: Students show higher activity levels during the school year compared to summer. On average, boys gain 9 additional minutes of daily physical activity, while girls gain 6 extra minutes during term time.
SUMMERTIME SITTING INCREASES WITH AGE: While children under 9 sometimes sit more during the school year than in summer, those over 10 are consistently more sedentary outside of term time. This suggests efforts should consider how best to engage older students.
ANNUAL ACTIVITY AVERAGE DECLINES WITH AGE: Beyond seasonal fluctuations, students’ overall activity levels decline as they age. On average, students lose approximately 5 minutes of daily physical activity for each year they grow older, with girls showing a slightly steeper decline.
LOW-INCOME STUDENTS FACE RAPID ACTIVITY DECLINE: Students from low-income households experience a more rapid decline in activity levels than their peers as they age. These findings underscore the importance of making physical activity opportunities inclusive and accessible for everyone.

WHAT ELSE

BACK-TO-SCHOOL PLANNING: Teachers should be mindful that activity levels may have decreased over the break, particularly among older students and those from lower-income households. This awareness can inform more tailored back-to-school PE lessons and strategies to boost engagement in physical activity and sport.
STRUCTURE SUPPORTS MOVEMENT: Maintaining and where possible increasing structured opportunities throughout the school day and year to sit less and move more could help support students in maintaining healthy lifestyles.
DIVERSE ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION: Exposing students to a variety of physical activities may foster healthier habits, and encourage older children to choose more active pursuits during their holidays. Introducing new outdoor games and activities could spark interest in hobbies that maintain year-round movement.
PARENT EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Informing parents and carers about the benefits of regular physical activity, potential risks of summer inactivity, and local, affordable activity options could help reduce some participation barriers. Engaging local organisations to support these efforts could help maximise impacts while sharing the workload.