Climate Change and Youth Physical Activity During Summertime: Challenges and Potential Solutions

Kevin Lanza PhD¹; Maricarmen Vizcano PhD²; Denver Brown PhD³; Elizabeth A. Salerno PhD⁴; James F. Sallis PhD, FSBM⁵; Jacob Szeszulski PhD⁶; Linda Trinh PhD⁷; M. Renee Umstattd Meyer PhD⁸; Rebecca E. Lee PhD, FSBM⁹; on behalf of the Physical Activity SIG and Climate Change and Health SIG

School’s out for summer! It’s time to get outside and play with friends, right? Not so fast! As our planet warms up, extreme heat and air pollution can make outdoor activities challenging. Fortunately, behavioral medicine researchers have recommendations to help youth stay active over the summer.

Challenges

Air temperatures are higher than decades ago, and heat waves—multiple days of abnormally high temperatures—are increasing across the United States.^1,2 Climate change has also impacted levels of ground-level ozone, particulate matter, and pollen, which can cause respiratory problems.³ Children are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat and air pollution because they tend to spend more time outdoors and breathe at a faster rate than adults.⁴ As such, precautions must be taken while being physically active.

Daily physical activity is important for physical and mental health, yet most youth do not meet the U.S. guidelines of 60 minutes per day.⁵ Maintaining adequate physical activity is critical during summertime but challenging. A study of diverse adolescents found they had fewer physical activity minutes each day in the summer than during the school year,⁶ and others studies have shown high temperatures to associate with lower activity levels of preschoolers and elementary students.^7,8 It is important to develop realistic plans to help young people be active during high temperatures.

Potential Solutions

Advise youth to be active in the morning or evening when temperatures and ground-level ozone are generally lower. During high temperatures, ensure they take regular breaks; wear loose-fitting, light-colored and lightweight clothing; and hydrate. Water-based activities, such as swimming at the pool or lake, or using a splash pad or inflatable water slide, can keep kids cool.

Longer-term solutions include planting trees for air quality improvements and shade provision; installing artificial shade structures or water misters over playgrounds and other active spaces; upgrading physical activity equipment to heat-helpful materials (e.g., wood) to prevent discomfort and burns (e.g., hot metal slides); and creating shared-use agreements that make climate-resilient activity spaces at schools accessible to community members.

When youth are active, beware of symptoms of exertional heat illness including headache, dizziness, and weakness. If these symptoms occur, have the child stop all activity; move to a cool location; place cool, wet cloths on their body; and sip water. If these symptoms intensify, last longer than an hour, or are joined by more serious symptoms (e.g., vomiting, confusion, loss of consciousness), immerse the child’s body in cold water and seek immediate medical help.^9,10 The American Academy of Pediatrics provides a list of recommendations for safe exercise of children and adolescents in hot conditions.¹¹

Being active in natural settings provides physical, mental, and social benefits for youth.^12,13 As we experience increased temperatures and pollution, the strategies above can help youth receive these benefits and enjoy nature. However, when temperatures or air pollution levels are extremely high, consider moving to a climate-controlled, indoor space with filtered air such as roller or ice skating rinks, gyms, or covered stadiums. Alternatively, community organizations that host physical activity events or programs (e.g., Play Streets)¹⁴ can partner with organizations with access to large indoor spaces and pools, or select activities (e.g., hula hoops, dance-offs) that can be used in small indoor spaces such as classrooms, library meeting rooms, or church halls. Bonus points for making it fun: frog jumps, adding movement to traditional games (e.g., active charades), or competitions!

Conclusions

While the impacts of climate change are a threat to youth physical activity, especially during the summertime, there are a host of individual and environmental strategies to promote safe physical activity in the face of extreme heat and air pollution. The health and well-being benefits of physical activity, especially outdoors, are too important to ignore.

Affiliations

1. Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Austin, Texas.
2. College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona.
3. Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
4. Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
5. Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
6. Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture (IHA), Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Dallas, Texas.
7. Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
8. Department of Public Health, Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
9. Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona.

References

1. U.S. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Monthly global climate report for annual 2023. January 2024. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/global/202313.
2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Climate change indicators: Heat waves. November 1, 2023. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heat-waves#ref7.
3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Climate change impacts on air quality. April 9, 2024. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-air-quality#2foot.
4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Climate change and children’s health. December 27, 2023. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-and-childrens-health.
5. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity facts. July 26, 2022. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/facts.htm#:~:text=In%202017%2C%20only%2026.1%25%20of,days%20of%20the%20previous%20week.
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7. Koepp AE, Lanza K, Byrd-Williams C, Bryan AE, Gershoff ET. Ambient Temperature Increases and Preschoolers’ Outdoor Physical Activity. JAMA pediatrics. 2023;177(5):539-540.
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12. Chawla L. Benefits of nature contact for children. Journal of Planning Literature. 2015;30(4):433-452.
13. Meyer MRU, Hamilton CNB, Prochnow T, et al. Come together, play, be active: Physical activity engagement of school-age children at Play Streets in four diverse rural communities in the US. Preventive medicine. 2019;129:105869.