Physical Activity Patterns in Early Childhood

Physical activity during the first five years is characterised by frequent, varied movement interspersed with rest, laying the foundation for motor skill acquisition, healthy growth and lifelong habits. In this period, children naturally engage predominantly in light activity punctuated by short bursts of moderate-to-vigorous activity, with overall daily movement goals often met but with intensity and context varying by age, sex and setting. Measurement advances, especially wearable accelerometers, have enabled detailed profiling of active and sedentary periods across home, childcare and community environments. Influences on early activity levels span individual (e.g. temperament, motor competence), familial (e.g. parental modelling, sibling presence), socio-cultural (e.g. guidelines, organised play) and physical environmental factors (e.g. playground design, indoor space). Globally, fostering age-appropriate activity supports obesity prevention, cognitive and psychosocial development and establishes patterns that persist into later childhood. However, variability in research methods and lack of consensus on intensity thresholds highlight the need for harmonised definitions and intervention targets.

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Physical Activity Patterns in Early Childhood publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in physical activity patterns in early childhood across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA): Movement requiring elevated heart rate and energy expenditure, such as running or active play, associated with cardiometabolic benefits.

Light physical activity (LPA): Low-intensity movement including slow walking or standing play, contributing to total active time but with lower physiological demand.

Sedentary behaviour: Waking activities characterised by low energy expenditure, primarily sitting or reclining, linked to adverse health outcomes if excessive.

Accelerometry: Use of wearable motion sensors to objectively record movement intensity and duration, enabling detailed activity profiling.

References

1. Physical activity in infancy and early childhood: a narrative review of interventions for prevention of obesity and associated health outcomes. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2023).
2. Correlates of Physical Activity in 0- to 5-year-olds: A Systematic Umbrella Review and Consultation of International Researchers. Sports Medicine (2022).
3. Environmental factors associated with physical activity in childcare centers. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2015).
4. Physical activity and sedentary time among preschoolers in centre-based childcare: a systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2018).