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The Endurance Crisis: Why 2 in 3 Children Can't Sustain Physical Effort | Tina Khatri

The Endurance Crisis: Why 2 in 3 Children Can't Sustain Physical Effort | Tina Khatri
Public Health Report: The 2026 Fitness Benchmark

Only one in three children can run without pant… gasp… collapse

By TINA KHATRI | tinakhatri.blogspot.com | February 26, 2026

Tell a classroom of children to touch their toes and most will manage. Ask them to hold a plank, and many will succeed. But ask them to keep running — and nearly two out of three will run out of steam.

The latest national fitness assessment shows that only 34 per cent of children meet healthy standards for aerobic endurance. Experts suggest the culprit is not sheer inactivity, but fragmentation — children are active in short bursts, rather than the sustained stretches required to build cardiovascular capacity.

The Fragmentation Problem

Dr. Vijay Krishnamurthy, sports researcher, identifies this as a structural failure. “Activity has become fragmented,” he states. “Short PE periods, occasional sports practice, bursts of play — that is not enough. Endurance requires progression and consistency.”

Fitness Recovery Timeline (Aerobic Capacity)

While overall fitness has rebounded since the pandemic, cardiovascular stamina lags behind:

2023: 27.5%
2024: 32.8%
2025: 34.4%

The Urban Challenge: Bhopal & Indore

In rapidly urbanising cities such as Bhopal and Indore, the deficit is amplified. Sports physiotherapist Dr. Ankush Agrawal warns that shrinking open spaces and mounting academic pressure have turned activity into something "scheduled and time-bound" rather than natural play.

“Aerobic endurance is closely linked to long-term heart health. Persistently low stamina in childhood increases the risk of lifestyle disorders later in life,” Agrawal added.

Current Fitness Metrics: At a Glance

Category Fit Percentage
Core Stability87%
Flexibility70%
Healthy BMI60%
Muscular Strength50%
Aerobic Endurance 34.4%

The Imbalance

The conclusion is stark: children can bend, balance, and perform short physical tasks. They struggle with sustained effort. Without addressing the stamina gap, the recent rebound in overall fitness (84.8%) remains a surface-level victory.

Search Description for tinakhatri.blogspot.com: 2026 Child Health Survey analysis by Tina Khatri. Discover why 2 in 3 children fail aerobic endurance tests despite recovering flexibility and core strength post-pandemic. Expert insights from Dr. Vijay Krishnamurthy and Dr. Ankush Agrawal.

TAGS: tinakhatri.blogspot.com, Child Fitness India, MP Health News, Indore Bhopal Urban Health, Aerobic Endurance Survey, Dr Ankush Agrawal.

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