Seasonal Influences on Physical Activity Patterns

Physical activity fluctuates systematically across the seasons in response to changes in weather, daylight hours and environmental context. Colder temperatures, precipitation and strong winds tend to suppress outdoor moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and increase time spent sedentary, while longer daylight and milder conditions encourage walking, cycling and recreational sports. These shifts are observed across the life course, from declines in children’s play and organised sport in winter to reductions in adults’ active commuting during periods of rain or low temperatures. In dual-behaviour studies, light physical activity often peaks at intermediate thermal ranges, whereas vigorous exercise shows a more pronounced inverted U-shaped relationship with temperature. Seasonal patterns also interact with social and infrastructural factors: urban design, availability of indoor facilities and cultural preferences modulate the extent to which weather inhibits or facilitates movement. Understanding these dynamics is vital for tailoring public health guidance, designing year-round intervention programmes and adapting infrastructure to sustain activity despite climatic variability.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent analyses of assessment timing within a school year have revealed measurable improvements in children’s physical fitness components that extend beyond simple maturation effects. Using a regression discontinuity approach in a large cohort of primary school pupils, researchers compared first-term and second-term performance on tests of coordination, sprint speed and upper-limb muscle power. Coordination and speed measures were significantly higher in the second school term, with boys exhibiting larger gains in upper-limb power. No substantial changes were detected in cardiorespiratory endurance or flexibility. These findings underscore the role of structured activity within the academic calendar and suggest that term-time influences should be accounted for when evaluating seasonal trends in youth fitness and designing school-based activity programmes.

Seasonal Influences on Physical Activity Patterns publication trend

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

Technical terms

Light physical activity (LPA): Low-intensity movement such as slow walking or casual household tasks, typically measured by accelerometry counts below moderate thresholds.

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA): Activities that raise the heart rate and breathing (for example brisk walking or running), often operationalised using count-based thresholds on wearable monitors.

Sedentary behaviour (SB): Waking time spent in low-energy activities such as sitting or reclining, usually defined by accelerometer counts below a minimal threshold.

Photoperiod: The duration of daylight in a 24-hour period, which influences hormonal regulation, mood and the opportunity for outdoor activity.

References

1. Weather associations with physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep patterns of Australian adults: a longitudinal study with implications for climate change. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2023).
2. Association between time of assessment within a school year and physical fitness of primary school children. Scientific Reports (2024).
3. Weather and exercise: A comparative review and the role of geographers. Geography Compass (2023).
4. Seasons, weather, and device-measured movement behaviors: a scoping review from 2006 to 2020. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2021).