Every year schools across Finland carry out fitness tests known as Move! for fifth and eighth grade pupils. While results this year indicated a decline in endurance, movement skills were on par with last year's results.
Pupils’ results deteriorated most in the 20-metre line run, or 'beep test', where participants run back and forth along a 20-metre line at increasing speed as long as they can manage. As the test goes on, the time between signal beeps becomes shorter.
Forty-one percent of fifth grade girls managed to run just over three minutes, covering 460 metres, while 45 percent of boys in the same grade ran up to four minutes, or 580 metres.
"From a physician’s perspective, it’s clear we have a downward trend among fifth graders," said Tommi Vasankari, who directs the UKK Institute, a health-focused research organisation.
He also noted that poor fitness levels affect kids’ sleep quality and can contribute to restlessness in class.
When it comes to difference between the genders, boys demonstrated more upper body inflexibility than girls. The test also showed some regional disparity, with kids in urban centres achieving better results than those living in rural areas.
Not being able to walk to school or having few opportunities to play organised sports may contribute to the poorer countryside performance, according to Vasankari.
In 2018, some schools suspended Move! tests after a pupil died during the endurance portion of the drill.