Mumbai: Sportz Village, through its award-winning EduSports in-school Physical Education & Sports program has been working to improve sports education in India since 2009 and has been assessing children’s health on a national level for the past 12 years. The post-covid survey revealed that children are displaying alarmingly poor fitness levels across India. The nationwide study has covered children in the age groups of 6 to 16 years from 120 schools across 20 cities and towns. The children were assessed on various parameters in both private and public schools across India. The parameters assessed were Body Mass Index (BMI), Aerobic capacity, Anaerobic capacity, Core Strength, Flexibility, Upper body strength and lower body strength.
The covid-19 pandemic did disrupt many aspects of the daily life of children, including physical activity levels and has had a negative impact on the health and well-being of many individuals globally. During the pandemic, schools were closed for extended periods of time, which led to reduced opportunities for physical activity and outdoor play. Additionally, restrictions on movement and social distancing guidelines may have limited the ability of children to participate in organized sports or physical activities outside of their homes.
Speaking on the findings Saumil Majmudar, CEO & Managing Director, Sportz Village, said “Last year, schools resumed in-person classes. At that point in time, the long-term effect of the pandemic on the physical fitness of Indian children was still unclear. The findings prove that the school closures, due to the pandemic, had an adverse effect. The lack of health and fitness among such a large number of children yet again proves that physical activities in schools are of great importance and are needed for the overall development of children. Schools need to view sports as an integral part of education and should provide opportunities to engage in structured physical activities to ensure that each and every child is engaged Sportz Village’s EduSports program aims to bridge this gap and is integrated into the school timetable and calendar.”
