Although infection with SARS-CoV-2 appears to be less dangerous for children and adolescents, research indicates that the measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have had and continue to have negative effects on children’s and adolescents’ mental health and physical activity (PA). Due to the different health policies, country-specific studies as well as studies in different phases of the pandemic are important to obtain a differentiated picture of the effects of the pandemic. This study set out to investigate children’s and adolescents’ PA, stress, and well-being as well as the associations between these two variables during a phase of a gradual decline in measure to contain the pandemic in Germany. For this purpose, 1293 children and adolescents in a rural area of a federal state in Germany were investigated. The results indicated that children and adolescents felt sadder and less well during this period than children and adolescents before the pandemic. Results also revealed that they were more physically active than children and adolescents before the pandemic as well as in the second lockdown but less active than in the first lockdown. Both well-being and sadness were positively associated with the PA. The study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the situation of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering lifespan developmental psychology, engagement in sport can be seen as a dynamic process of phases of participation and inactivity that varies from individual to individual. Depending on the individual biography, specific categories and patterns of sport participation evolve over a lifetime. Changes of sport participation rates over the last 30 years are discussed on the basis of general social changes. Six patterns of reasons will be discussed. The focus is set on a heuristic model as a base to explain the individual changes of behavior in sports over the lifespan. This model depicts engagement in sports as a process of dynamic changes (aspect of process and time) influenced by specific determinants in the different phases of changes (aspect of determinants). Finally, three of these determinants--(health) motives, barriers and preferences for sport and exercises--are specified because they seem to be important for adherence to adults' sports activities.

Physical activities are particularly health effective when they are structured and systematically organized, for example, with respect to a dose-response relationship or to psychosocial aspects. Which insights can be gained from scientific knowledge on the structure of physical activities? Which health-related goals can be sought with different physical activities in the field of sport? Which target groups can be reached with these kinds of sport? These questions are addressed in this article on the basis of current scientific knowledge-to promote the development of health-enhancing physical activities especially in sport federations, but also to create a communication platform between the sport and the health sector. The work of researchers in this field is focused mainly on health-enhancing physical activity, but they are also engaged in health-related scientific organizations and in sport federations.

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