How Much Physical Activity is OK for Sick Kiddos?

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Active for Life asks, “Should we be encouraging our kids to be physically active while they’re sick?” It’s an important question to ask, especially since we know that children from ages 1 to 4 should get at least 180 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity and children 5 and over at least 60 minutes per day.

A recent Active for Life article by Josée Bergeron notes that the colder months of the year are definitely worse for illnesses. “With everyone back at school and spending more time inside, illnesses spread like wildfire. Some years are worse that others and it seems that since pandemic restrictions have lifted, certain illnesses have come back with a fiery vengeance.”

The answer to the question of whether children should be encouraged to be physically active when they are sick really depends on the kind of sickness the child has and what their symptoms are like. And it is important to remember that the suggestions given here are only guidelines, not expert medical advice for your child’s particular situation. Generally, based on your knowledge and experience with your own child, if the child is keen to move around and it isn’t making their illness worse, then it will usually be fine, but if there’s any doubt, be sure to consult a health professional.

Colds: Usually kids can still be physically active when they have a common cold. One guideline is that if your child’s symptoms are mild and “above the neck,” like a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, or a bit of a sore throat, then mild to moderate physical activity is fine. In fact, moving around can even help ease nasal stuffiness and help boost the immune system. However, if your child’s symptoms are “below the neck,” like a cough or other chest symptoms and physical activity makes these symptoms worse, then it’s best to encourage rest.

Other Respiratory illnesses (e.g. influenza, COVID, RSV): Certain respiratory illnesses have more serious symptoms like a fever, cough, fatigue, achy muscles, and chills. These symptoms are more commonly seen when kids have influenza, COVID, or RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). If your child is experiencing these types of illnesses then the advice is that it’s best to rest. Chances are your child won’t be feeling up to doing much else and that’s alright. However, sometimes children have these illnesses and their symptoms are mild. If that’s the case, follow the guidelines for being physically active described in the section on common colds but keep a close eye on how their symptoms develop over time.

Stomach bugs: If your child has nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, chances are they won’t be going far from the bathroom. Stomach bugs are another illness where it’s best to rest. The concern is that children can get easily dehydrated when their tummies are upset so it’s important to focus on calming the tummy and replacing fluids until their symptoms subside. However, if your child’s stomach bug is mild, they have a sore belly or mild loose bowels, and energy levels are normal, then mild physical activity around your home or yard should be fine. 

Fever: The general consensus is that physical activity isn’t recommended when kids have a fever. Often moderate- to high-intensity exercise can make the fever worse by heating up the body, so this is another time when it’s best to rest. 

Generally, high-intensity physical activities (e.g. running, dancing, swimming lessons, team sports or group lessons) should be avoided if your child is unwell, both because the child may push themselves too hard, slowing their recovery, and because they risk spreading their germs to others in group settings.

If your child feels up to it, and is not running a fever, then a stroll around the neighbourhood or a short visit to a quiet neighbourhood play park, dressed appropriately, allows the child to self-direct activity and benefit from fresh air and sunlight to aid their recovery.

If a toddler or pre-schooler is getting irritable from being restricted by illness and needs some gentle self-directed indoor play to get their mood back in balance, then you could try:

·      Tunnel crawl: Drape a blanket over a couple of sturdy chairs to create a tunnel to crawl through and add a ball for them to push through the tunnel. This activity helps with gross motor skills and coordination.

·      Fantastic fort: Lean a toddler mattress onto a couch or the dining table, drop some blankets on top and place some pillows on the floor to create a fantastic fort for your child. This activity is great for encouraging creative play with toys or picture books.

·      Give the toys a bath: Things like plastic stacking cups, sand toys, or plastic figurines can be used for this game. Let the child give the toys a bath in the kitchen sink or in a tub of water set on a plastic table cloth and some towels on the floor.

·      Ribbon or scarf dancing: Put on some music and give your toddler a light scarf or a piece of ribbon to wave and wiggle to the music. This simple activity helps develop movement and coordination.

·      Laundry time: Invite your two-year-old to help sort dirty laundry (darks, lights and towels) and place the sorted laundry into a front-loading washing machine. Another fun activity for a two-year-old is matching items from the clean laundry bin like socks or towels.

·      Hide and Seek: Ask your child to cover their eyes and hide a stuffie or toy for them to find. Make the hiding spot obvious at first and then more difficult as your toddler gets better at the game. Turn the game around and ask your toddler to hide the object for you to find.

·      Build a colour rainbow: Around age two, toddlers start to recognize colours. Turn this newfound skill into fun activities like building a colour rainbow. To play, build a colour rainbow and help your child find several items of the same colours around your home and then set them up in a rainbow shape. Don’t be concerned if your two-year-old can’t name colours just yet – this skill develops more around the age of three.

·      Loose parts play: Giving your toddler a variety of loose parts (open-ended items) to play with is wonderful for developing their creativity and problem-solving skills. Place a variety of items such as a pile of clean rags, toilet paper tubes, and plastic containers in a basket for your toddler to manipulate and use in a variety of ways. Learn more about loose parts play for toddlers.

·      Painter’s tape games: Create games for your child on the floor with colourful painter’s tape. Use tape to make roadways, hopscotch, balance beam, and shapes to get your toddler moving around and having some fun. Another option is to let your toddler tape things to the ground like toys for some silly sensory play.

·      Dress-up: Dress-up play starts around age two but no need to buy fancy dress-up clothes for your toddler. Instead, place a pile of different clothes articles for your toddler to play with and explore such as a scarf, mitts, socks, oversized coat, shoes, etc. This is a great activity for building motor skills and coordination.

And remember, the average attention span of a two-year-old is about two minutes long at the best of times, so having a couple of options available is always a good idea, especially when the child is not feeling well and may have more trouble than normal settling to an activity.