Children’s physical fitness: Instead of saying “Go exercise,” try “Let’s play together”

“Children these days lack physical fitness.”

When you hear that, you might think of video games or smartphones. However, if you look closely at the survey results, a picture emerges that cannot be explained by those factors alone.

Hello. This is Miyanaka, a physical therapist, physical trainer, and soccer coach.

The Japan Sports Agency released the “FY2025 Physical Fitness and Athletic Ability Survey” on October 11, 2026. This time, I will think about children’s physical fitness and opportunities to move their bodies.

“Lower than in the past” cannot be said in a single word

In the official documents, the total physical fitness scores for ages 6 to 19 are compared with those around 1998, when the New Physical Fitness Test began. In that comparison, the results for FY2025 were higher for both boys and girls across all age groups.

On the other hand, over the last 10 years, the total scores have shown a downward trend for the majority of age groups for both boys and girls.

The results compared over a long period differ from recent changes. Also, a higher total score does not mean that all measurement items have improved.

Rather than grouping them all together as “having less physical fitness than children in the past,” it is easier to grasp the issues by thinking about “what kind of changes are happening recently.”

There is a correlation between belonging to a sports club or team and physical fitness

The survey also analyzed the relationship between belonging to a school sports club or local sports club and the total physical fitness score.

For 12-year-olds in FY2025, there was the following difference in total scores between children who belonged to a club and those who did not.

Difference in total physical fitness score for 12-year-olds (Belonging – Not belonging): Boys +6.6 points, Girls +9.1 points

However, this does not mean that “if you join a club, your physical fitness will increase by that amount.” Original physical fitness and interest in exercise may also be related to whether or not they join a club.

From this comparison alone, we cannot conclude the effects of joining a club or the causes of physical fitness decline. I would like to accept the point that there is a correlation between opportunities to exercise and physical fitness.

In coaching, I want to value experience over being good or bad

When I coach soccer, I feel that the movements children are good at vary. Some are good at running, some are good at handling the ball, and some are good at balancing. There are also children who are not yet used to moving their bodies.

I do not want to divide those differences into “children who can do it” and “children who cannot.”

Running, jumping, throwing, rolling, supporting the body. I want to create opportunities where they can accumulate “I did it” and “That was fun” experiences while trying various movements.

From here on, these are not conclusions directly indicated by the survey, but my own thoughts as a coach. In addition to soccer practice, I want to value time spent enjoying diverse movements through play.

Before telling children to ‘go exercise’

There may be times when you want to say, ‘Kids these days just play games.’ But I also want to look at the environment surrounding the children.

Are there safe places to play? Is there anyone to play with? Are there opportunities that are easy to join even if you aren’t good at sports?

These questions cannot be answered by this survey alone. Even so, they serve as an entry point for thinking about what adults can do.

You don’t have to start with anything grand. Taking a walk as a parent and child, playing tag in the park, or tossing a soft ball back and forth. It’s also good to ask what games the child likes and enjoy them together.

Instead of ‘Go exercise!’, try ‘Let’s play together!’.

That kind of encouragement might create time for physical activity.

Try one ‘together’ today

When thinking about children’s physical fitness, survey figures are important. However, there is no need to blame children based on those numbers.

What I want to increase are opportunities for everyone to encounter the joy of moving their bodies. Whether a child likes competition or struggles with it, there is a way for them to enjoy it in their own way.

Today, instead of thinking ‘What should I make them practice?’, why not think ‘What shall we enjoy together?’

Exercise is a tool that enriches life. Let’s cultivate smiles starting from small moments of play.

You can also listen to this as audio

stand.fm ‘Radio that Cultivates Smiles through Exercise’ – This episode

Reference Materials

Japan Sports Agency (2026) ‘FY2025 Physical Fitness and Athletic Ability Survey Report’ (Confirmed October 13, 2026)
https://www.mext.go.jp/sports/b_menu/toukei/chousa04/tairyoku/kekka/k_detail/1421920_00015.htm

• ‘Summary of Survey Results’ page 2: Long-term comparison of total scores for youth and trends over the last 10 years.

• ‘Analysis of Survey Results’ report page 28: Differences in total physical fitness scores by affiliation status for 12-year-olds.

• This article is edited and processed based on the above materials, with the author’s thoughts and practical examples added.

This article was created by AI.