Promoting healthy movement behaviours among children during the COVID-19 pandemic

Global movement behaviour guidelines recommend that preschool children (aged 3–4 years) accumulate at least 180 min physical activity, engage in no more than 1 h sedentary screen time, and have 10–13 h good-quality sleep per day. For school-age children and adolescents (5–17 years), the recommendations are to participate in at least 60 min moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity, engage in no more than 2 h sedentary recreational screen time, and have 9–11 h good-quality sleep each day. Children typically obtain their daily physical activity through active travel to school; physical education and recess; organised sports, games, and dance; active play; and spending time in playgrounds and parks. Conversely, most of their sedentary time and sleep are accumulated at home. As a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, opportunities for children to meet the movement behaviour guidelines have been affected by school closures and physical distancing measures implemented by many governments.