Effect Of Exercise Intervention On Physical Fitness Factors In Elementary School Children

Abstract

Sports have been very popular after-school activities for children. It is quite likely that sports have a positive effect on child growth in many ways. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology of Japan has reported that the total scores of physical fitness tests differ greatly between those who exercise regularly and those who do not. However, it is not clear how exercise habits affect physical fitness factors during childhood. Such detailed knowledge would be useful in promoting long-term athlete development and improving physical fitness throughout life. PURPOSE: To explore the effect of exercise intervention on physical fitness factors in elementary school children. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 1,079 1st- to 6th-grade male elementary school students. A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the exercise and lifestyle habits and the results of physical fitness tests conducted at Japanese elementary schools. The existence or not of exercise habits after-school activities and the results of physical fitness tests were used for the analysis. The physical fitness test includes measurements of grip strength, sit-ups, sitting front stretches, side steps, twenty-meter shuttle run, fifty-meter run, standing long jump, softball throw, height, and weight. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between grades in the existence or not of exercise habits about height and weight. After the 3rd grade, children with exercise habits showed higher performance on sit-ups, side steps, the twenty-meter shuttle run, the fifty-meter run, and softball throw than children with no exercise habits. There was little difference in grip strength, sitting front stretches, and long jump between children with exercise habits and those without. CONCLUSION: Endurance, speed, and agility develop greatly in elementary school children who exercise regularly. However, exercise habits have little effect on single strength and power. In addition, differences between children with and without exercise habits are observed after the 3rd grade.