75% of upper secondary and vocational school students would like to move more during the school day
According to a study published today by the Finnish Likes Research Centre for Physical Activity and Health, one-fifth of upper secondary school students and over one-third of students studying for a profession move too little, about an hour two days a week.
Low levels of mobility are a threat to work wellbeing and capability to work, especially in occupations that require physical strength and endurance. However, according to the survey conducted in 124 upper secondary and vocational schools, 75% of students would like to move more and are positive towards means to increase physical activity during the study day.
The majority of students feel that physical activity supports learning and is essential for staying fit. Students' opinions support earlier research on the positive effects of physical activity on learning.
The research is based on the information collected in the Finnish Studying on the Move (Liikkuva Opiskelu) pilot projects implemented in Finland in 2017-2019. In 2017, the successful Finnish Schools on the Move program was extended to upper secondary schools and vocational schools. Mobility projects in schools have created structures and prerequisites for increasing physical activity, for example by providing information and tools as well as functional teaching methods.
Seppo is one of the functional teaching tools used in the Finnish Schools on the Move program schools and supports the goals of the program. Seppo is also involved in developing the successful school program into an internationally applicable Finnish educational export concept.
The original research report published by Likes on Dec 12, 2019 (in Finnish).
Published 12.12.2019