Only One In Three Students Can Run Without Losing Breath, Survey Shows

A recent survey in India has raised concerns about the fitness levels of school students. It found that only about one in three children can run without getting out of breath. The survey, conducted by the private organisation Sportz Village EduSports, covered 141,840 students from 333 schools in 112 cities. As part of its 14th Annual Health Survey, it measured different aspects of fitness, including stamina, strength, Body Mass Index (BMI), core strength, and flexibility.

The results point to broader issues related to physical activity and overall fitness among school children in India. Aerobic fitness in early childhood predicts adult risk of diabetes or hypertension.

What The Numbers Show

The most striking figure is that just around 34% of students met the benchmark for aerobic capacity, which essentially measures whether a child can sustain running without getting breathless too quickly.

Around 40% of students fall outside the healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) range, either underweight or overweight.

Beyond that, 49% of children fail to meet the upper-body strength benchmark, and 44% fall short on lower-body strength, gaps that point to a generation that is sedentary, screen-bound, and physically underprepared.

Government and Private School Performance

The survey data also revealed that students from government and public schools performed better in multiple categories, including aerobic fitness, anaerobic and flexibility. Private school students showed stronger upper-body strength, but overall fitness levels were not higher.

This reveals that fitness among students is a shared responsibility of school and parents; more outdoor activities are important to be carried out now. It is due to the lifestyle changes that people are pursuing.

Girls Are Fitter Than Boys

The survey also shows that girls are outperforming boys in multiple fitness categories, that is, BMI (62% vs 57%), flexibility (73% vs 68%), core strength (88% vs 86%), upper body strength (53% vs 45%) and anaerobic capacity (65% vs 63%).

But this data does not show the bigger picture, that is, only less than 30% girls have healthier aerobic capacities. Which shows that overall, girls do not have enough stamina for running, though they are flexible and stronger.

Why It Matters

The bigger concern is what happens if this trend continues for another decade. The data suggests that we as a society really need to plan school going student's daily life, and include adequate sports activities, one or two sports or P.E (Physical Education) periods once a week won't help. If we're really serious about this, sports and outdoor activities should be given equal importance as academics.

Views expressed by the author are their own.