Physical Activity and Asthma Management in Pediatric Populations

The management of asthma in children increasingly recognises the dual importance of controlling symptoms and promoting regular physical activity. Historically, concerns about exercise‐induced breathlessness have led to reduced participation in sport and play, often to the detriment of overall fitness, psychosocial well‐being and lung function. Contemporary approaches frame physical activity as a core component of asthma care, with tailored exercise programmes, symptom monitoring and environmental considerations enabling children to achieve age‐appropriate activity levels. A growing evidence base highlights the role of personal, clinical and external factors—including weight status, air quality and parental attitudes—in shaping activity patterns. Integrating objective monitoring, educational support and collaborative care between families, schools and healthcare professionals can foster sustainable engagement in exercise while maintaining optimal asthma control.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have employed wearable monitors and geospatial data to quantify how environmental and individual parameters influence activity in children with asthma. Continuous tracking over several months revealed that days with rainfall corresponded to roughly 800 fewer daily steps compared with dry days, while each 10 µg/m³ increase in PM10 was associated with a further reduction of around 100 steps. The relationship between temperature and step count followed an inverted U-shape, indicating lower activity at temperature extremes. Moreover, higher age- and gender-adjusted body mass index was linked to reduced daily movement. These findings offer granular insights to inform the timing and design of exercise interventions, ensuring they account for weather, pollution and personal factors.

Physical Activity and Asthma Management in Pediatric Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in physical activity and asthma management in pediatric populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA): Activity intensity that significantly raises heart rate and energy expenditure above resting levels, forming the basis of exercise guidelines for children.

Exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction (EIB): Transient narrowing of the airways triggered by exercise, manifesting as cough, wheeze or breathlessness during or after physical exertion.

Accelerometry: Objective assessment of movement using wearable sensors that detect and record acceleration, enabling quantification of physical activity patterns.

FEV1/FVC ratio: The proportion of forced vital capacity exhaled in the first second of a spirometric manoeuvre, serving as an index of airway obstruction.

PM10: Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 micrometres or less, a common air pollutant known to exacerbate respiratory symptoms.

References

1. Association of environmental, demographic and clinical parameters with physical activity in children with asthma. Scientific Reports (2025).
2. Childhood asthma and physical activity: a systematic review with meta-analysis and Graphic Appraisal Tool for Epidemiology assessment. BMC Pediatrics (2016).
3. Physical activity among children with asthma: Cross‐sectional analysis in the UK millennium cohort. Pediatric Pulmonology (2019).
4. Physical activity and asthma development in childhood: Prospective birth cohort study. Pediatric Pulmonology (2019).