The Role of Physical Activity in Children with Type 1 Diabetes during Quarantine and COVID-19 Pandemic: Narrative Review

Background: The rapid and unprecedented outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), which spread rapidly around the world in late 2019, prompted the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency, which soon became an international public health concern. The concerns are especially more serious in people with certain diseases, such as diabetes. The need to quarantine and the preservation of social distances lead to further inactivity and, thus, more health consequences. It is necessary to maintain physical activity and regular exercise which, in addition to reducing the consequences of inactivity, can lead to better control of blood glucose in children with type 1 diabetes. This review article investigated the need for regular physical activity in children with type 1 diabetes who were quarantined during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: For this purpose, the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant articles published up to September 2021, and articles identified based on the search keywords were reviewed. Results: Online exercise programs may be helpful in counteracting the sedentary lifestyle associated with the pandemic. A short exercise session, which can be repeated frequently throughout the day, may represent an optimal intervention strategy to maintain the health and well-being of young people with type 1 diabetes Conclusion: Exercise in a safe home environment and under the supervision and encouragement of parents while monitoring and controlling blood glucose has several physical and psychological benefits that should be considered during quarantine and the outbreak of COVID-19