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

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