Local Decision-Makers and Keeping Kids Active During the Pandemic

“Yet, paradoxically, it appears as a nation that our collective response to the pandemic has exacerbated the pre-existing epidemic of physical inactivity amid efforts to protect people’s health.”

Over this past year with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, questions such as who should go to work, what services are essential, and which health needs are most important were left in large part to local decision-makers. One of the key questions faced by school board members, city councils, state legislators, and governors at the start of the pandemic last March was what to do about schools. Across much of the country, the decision was made to close school campuses and shift to virtual learning for the remainder of the spring. Subsequently, less than half of K-12 schools reopened for in-person instruction in the fall.

Unfortunately, school closures and the postponement of reopening have resulted in loss of structured physical activity opportunities for children and adolescents. During the pandemic, kids have been less active and, thus, are at risk of becoming more overweight. Physical activity benefits children’s physical, social, and mental health and also supports their academics. Yet, paradoxically, it appears as a nation that our collective response to the pandemic has exacerbated the pre-existing epidemic of physical inactivity amid efforts to protect people’s health. Recent studies have shown that K-12 schools are not super spreaders of COVID-19, if guidelines are followed including masks and reducing the size of gatherings. This prompts the question: Have persistent school closures been the optimal course of action for children’s health?

It is critical that whole-person well-being be considered when making decisions that affect children’s health, now and in the future.

We are still learning about the virus and all the impacts that it has had (and will continue to have) on children’s lives. There is talk of “learning loss” and federal funding to help close that gap. What about other gaps? It is critical that whole-person well-being be considered when making decisions that affect children’s health, now and in the future. Decisions about how best to handle school operations are particularly important to ensuring children receive the opportunities they need to meet physical activity guidelines.