Lockdown restrictions during the Covid pandemic led to a marked decline in children’s motor skills, an alarming study has found. University of Strathclyde researchers concluded that strict measures imposed in the UK impacted youngsters’ ability to run, jump and skip. A series of studies, published in the Journal of Sports Sciences and involving 278,000 ­people aged between three and 19, identified a consistent decline in motor skills following pandemic restrictions. The study, funded by the Scottish Funding Council, was based on the final year research projects of the undergraduate sport and physical activity student co-authors. The UK’s first lockdown was in March 2020, with most curbs lifted by March 2022.

Source: Daily Mail February 04, 2026 20:57 UTC