Sports day used to be your child's favourite day of the school year. Now they ask to sit it out, or they finish the running race looking far more exhausted than their classmates. The PE teacher has mentioned it too - your child tires quickly, rests more than the others, and drifts to the edge of the field during free play instead of joining in.
Why It Happens
Stamina during movement depends on more than fitness. It depends on how efficiently the body's muscles, joints and core work together to hold posture and produce movement. A child with lower muscle tone or less efficient motor planning uses noticeably more effort to do the same run, jump or throw as a peer, so they tire sooner - not because they are unfit, but because each movement simply costs them more energy. Over time, tiring out faster also means less practice, which can widen the gap further.
Signs to Watch For
- Wants to stop much sooner than peers during running, cycling or ball games
- Slouches into a "melted" posture by the end of a long school day
- Prefers sitting or quiet activities over active play during break time
- Needs more rest breaks than friends during the same games or sport
- Leans on walls, furniture or a parent while standing for any length of time
- Finds reasons to avoid sports day events or sit out of PE class
What to Try at Home
- Build in short bursts of movement rather than one long session - ten minutes, a few times a day
- Animal walks, crab walks and wheelbarrow walks build core and shoulder strength through play, not drills
- Swimming and cycling build stamina without the high impact of running on hard ground
- Let them rest fully between bursts rather than pushing through to keep pace with others
- Praise effort and participation, not speed or score, so trying stays rewarding
What Tends to Make It Worse
Being compared to a sibling or classmate on speed or stamina tends to make a child avoid the activity altogether, which only reduces strength further over time. Long, unbroken PE periods with no built-in rest, and heavy school bags carried on one shoulder for long stretches, add to the fatigue a low-tone child is already managing. Hot, humid weather common in many Indian cities for much of the school year can make outdoor PE periods even more draining for a child who already tires faster than their classmates.
When It Is Worth an Occupational Therapy Assessment
If low stamina shows up alongside clumsiness, poor balance, or difficulty with specific skills like catching, jumping or cycling, it is often connected to how the body's muscles and joints coordinate movement and hold posture, which occupational therapists call motor planning and postural control. A gross motor coordination therapy assessment looks at strength, balance and coordination together, then builds a plan around activities your child will genuinely enjoy. Read more on our gross motor coordination therapy page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Could my child just be unfit rather than having a motor skill difficulty?
It is possible, and more exercise alone sometimes helps. But if tiring quickly comes with clumsiness, poor balance, or avoiding specific skills like catching or cycling, fitness training alone usually will not close that gap, since the underlying issue is often how efficiently the body coordinates movement, not just stamina.
My child plays sport on weekends but still tires fast at school. Why?
Short bursts of enjoyable play, like weekend cricket, often feel different from sustained school PE or sports day, which demands longer, more continuous effort with less rest. A child can manage one and genuinely struggle with the other without it being inconsistent or behavioural.
Will this improve naturally as my child gets older and stronger?
Some children do build strength and endurance with age and regular activity. If the pattern has been consistent for a while and shows up alongside other coordination signs, it is worth an assessment rather than assuming time alone will resolve it.
What would a gross motor coordination therapy session actually involve?
Sessions use games and activities - climbing, balancing, ball play, obstacle courses - chosen to build core strength, balance and motor planning at your child's current level, gradually increasing demand as their coordination and stamina improve, without it feeling like a workout.
