Only 18 per cent of secondary school students getting an hour of exercise a day

Sarah Slater

Gender, age, time, cost and academic pressures are barriers to physical activity for post-primary school students, new data shows.

The research shows that only 18 per cent of secondary school students are getting the recommended daily amount of physical activity of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Other findings show that rates drop sharply with age, with 20 per cent of junior cycle students being active daily vs just 14 per cent of senior cycle students.

Girls are disproportionately inactive, with only 12 per cent of females meeting daily guidelines compared to 24 per cent of males.

A further 80 per cent of students thought that lunchtime is too short for including physical exercise, 70 per cent cited academic pressure as a top barrier, and 62 per cent cited homework/exam pressure as a barrier to community sport and activity.

Uniform discomfort is a major issue with 58 per cent disliking taking part in physical exercise in uniform, especially girls at 66 per cent, while 36 per cent of students say physical activity options in their community are too expensive.

In the community, self-consciousness and lack of friends participating are major barriers for 48 per cent of girls and 40 per cent of boys.

Students said they want more inclusive activities, better promotion, and accessible facilities.

The findings are included in a University of Limerick survey into the physical activity of more than 20,000 students in post-primary schools in Ireland.

The Active School Flag Post-Primary (ASFPP) Student Survey Report 2024 was part of a pilot project of the Active School Flag (ASF) initiative, which took place in 42 schools.

The data also shows that the proportion of ASFPP students engaging in daily moderate to vigorous physical activity is 6% higher than the national average.

The initiative promotes physical activity in schools and aims to support schools to maximise opportunities for students and staff to be physically active during the school day.

It has been designed to complement the existing Physical Education (PE) curriculum in schools and to get ‘More Schools. More Active. More Often’.

University of Limerick researchers Professor Catherine Woods and Dr Kwok Ng, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, have been collaborating with the Department of Education and Youth on the ASF Programme since 2018.

Professor Catherine Woods, UL’s Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS) and Director of the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre in UL, outlined the potential impact this data could have.

“This data provides an opportunity for multiple Government departments, agencies and organisations to understand and learn from the students themselves how to address the complex problem of inactivity in this age group,” explained Professor Woods.

The Active School Flag initiative has been running successfully in primary schools for over 15 years, and the progression to post-primary schools is a milestone moment in the promotion of physical activity and health among school communities in Ireland.

The research found that the ASF programme helped schools to build an ethos around the promotion of physical activity within post-primary schools, including students, staff, management, and the community.

Dr Kwok Ng from UL’s Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS) and the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAfH), explained the importance of having access to this volume of data.

“This is the first time we have been able to get data from around 20,000 students in post-primary schools. These students shared their individual physical activity behaviours, active transport to and from school, as well as information about their participation in the community, barriers and their ideas for what they would like to see in the future,” he said.

“There are take-home messages for each of the relevant departments to promote physical activity in schools, during the school day, and beyond and in the community,” Dr Ng added.

The findings have informed the 2025 Programme for Government to expand the initiative to promote physical activity and health among school communities, with 50 new post-primary schools invited to join the Active School Flag Post-Primary programme, commencing in September next year.