Physical Fitness Scores Research Articles

Efficacy of a computer vision-based system for exercise management in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a study protocol for a randomised controlled pilot trial

IntroductionThis study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a computer vision system in guiding exercise management for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) by comparing functional improvement between a tele-rehabilitation versus...

The impact of 12 weeks of circuit body weight training on athletes’ physical fitness

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of 12-week circuit body weight training on athletes’ physical fitness. This study used an experimental design with a control group. This experimental model consists of three stages. Firstly, pre-testing the dependent variable before implementing the treatment. Secondly, experimental participants are given experimental treatment, specifically the circuit body weight approach. Thirdly, provide a post-test to measure the dependent variable after treatment. The experimental sample included 25 athletes from various sports who were separated into two treatment groups. The circuit body weight group consisted of 13 samples, while the remaining 12 were trained using conventional direct teaching methods. The data analysis technique begins with calculating the data’s normality. The homogeneity test determines if two data sets contain homogeneous versions. Finally, the Mann-Whitney test compares two similar population means. Calculations using SPSS IBM 26 on data before treatment in the experimental class resulted in a valid sample size of 25 and a score of 48.40 ± 2,931. The experimental group had a valid sample size of 25, with a score of 49.57 ± 2,979. Pre-test data for the control class showed 25 valid samples with a score of 38.7 ± 6,607. Meanwhile, the control class post-test data obtained a valid sample size of 25 with a score 39.43 ± 6.796. The table shows a sig (2-tailed) value of 0.000 < 0.05, indicating a significant difference in physical fitness scores between the experimental and control groups. Additionally, there is a difference in average Physical Fitness results between the Circuit bodyweight training model and the conventional learning model.

A comparative study on the physical fitness of college students from different grades and majors in Jiangxi province.

Research to date has not provided a clear understanding of how different grades and majors affect the physical fitness of college students. It is postulated that there are significant disparities in physical health among college students of different grades and majors. The purpose of this study was to evidence these health disparities and to engage in an extensive analysis and discussion thereof. A sample of 8,772 (2,404 boys and 6,368 girls) Chinese college students from freshman to junior years, aged 17-22, including 12 different majors in four colleges, were recruited in Jiangxi Province. All seven physical fitness indicators (body mass index (BMI), forced vital capacity, 50-m dash, standing long jump, sit and reach, upper body muscle strength, and endurance runs) were conducted for all participants. One-way ANOVA and LSD tests were conducted to compare the physical fitness scores of different grades in the same major. Independent sample t-tests were utilized to compare the differences in every physical fitness indicator for different majors. Pearson's correlations among 12 majors for every grade were conducted to study the significant corrections between the two physical fitness indicators. The body mass index (BMI) and physical fitness indicator (PFI) for college students of different grade were investigated using a nonlinear regression model. The current state of physical fitness among college students is concerning, as the majority of students were barely passing (with a passing rate of 75.3%). Specifically, junior students exhibited lower scores than freshman and sophomore students across all 12 majors. From freshman to junior year, majors of music (78.01±4.58), English (79.29±5.03), and education (76.26±4.81) had the highest scores, respectively, but major art consistently scored the lowest, which were 73.85±6.02, 74.97±5.53, and 72.59±4.84, respectively. Pairwise comparisons revealed more significant differences in individual physical fitness indicators among the three grades in humanities than in sciences. Pearson's correlations showed significant correlations among seven physical fitness indicators in all three grades. PFI had a parabolic trend with BMI both for boy and girl college students in Jiangxi province. The physical fitness indicators of college students in Jiangxi province significantly differed in grades and majors, showing undesirable phenomena. The physical fitness of senior and humanities major college students was much weaker and needs sufficient attention. The relationship between BMI and PFI presented an inverted "U"-shaped change characteristic. Continued nationwide interventions are needed to promote physical activity and other healthy lifestyle behaviors in China.

Law enforcement recruit fitness: Changes across the fitness spectrum.

Law enforcement is a profession of sedentary physical activity interspersed with physically demanding activity that requires high levels of fitness. It is imperative that agencies training law enforcement recruits maximise their fitness during their time at the academy. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in physical fitness during academy training. Retrospective data for 10 academy recruit classes, totalling 715 participants, were collected from a US law enforcement agency. The change in performance on two standardised tests were used as outcome measures. Comparisons were made between percentiles utilising one-way ANOVA and a linear mixed model (LMM). Overall, higher percentiles were found to have smaller improvements in physical fitness than lower percentiles. The results of the LMM support this supposition, showing that lower physical fitness scores resulted in greater improvements in a generalised fitness assessment (value = -0.45, standard error 0.02, p < 0.001) and an occupational assessment (value = -0.49, standard error = 0.02, p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that recruits with lower physical fitness will see greater improvements during academy training. This could be due to a ceiling effect for the more fit but may also be due to recruits of higher physical fitness being under trained during academy. Utilising ability-based training and prescribing an appropriate workload to recruits of higher fitness may improve overall recruit fitness upon graduation.

Effects of Dry Land Speed Training on 100-Meter Freestyle Swimming in Adolescent Swimming

Background and Aim: The specific strength development in swimming tends to start at a younger age, so it becomes particularly important to conduct effective Specific strength training during adolescence. It is essential to utilize training methods and means that align with the developmental characteristics of Specific strengths in young swimmers. Thus, this study has developed a specific dry-land training program to enhance the 100-meter freestyle swimming speed of adolescent swimmers. Methods: This study selected 30 male adolescent swimmers from the Shaanxi Provincial Swimming Team and divided them into an experimental group and a control group (15 individuals in each group) based on their 100-meter freestyle speed. Both groups underwent a 12-week training intervention, with 12 training sessions per week, each lasting 2 hours. The total training time and water-based training content were the same for both groups, but the content of dry-land training differed. The experimental group followed a specific dry-land training program, while the control group followed a traditional training program. Comprehensive tests were conducted before and after the 12-week training intervention for both groups, using the physical fitness and test scores of swimmers in the experimental and control groups as research indicators. Experimental and analytical methods, including experimental and statistical methods, were employed to conduct a targeted study on the changes in physical fitness and test scores before and after the training. Results: show that after 12 weeks of training, the scores for both groups are as follows: Pull-ups (Experimental group: P=0.000&lt;0.01, Control group: P=0.777&gt;0.05), Vertical jump (Experimental group: P=0.032&lt;0.05, Control group: P=0.848&gt;0.05), Abdominal muscle endurance (Experimental group: P=0.000&lt;0.01, Control group: P=0.396&gt;0.05), and Back muscle endurance (Experimental group: P=0.004&lt;0.01, Control group: P=0.583&gt;0.05). The post-test results reveal that swimmers in the experimental group performed significantly better in pull-ups, vertical jumps, abdominal muscle endurance, and back muscle endurance compared to the control group. Conclusion: The specialized training program effectively increased the upper limb strength of the participants, with no significant advantage over the traditional training program.

Perspective Physical Exercise of Students' Health and Fitness in Xi'an Physical Education University

Background and Aim: The university stage is a crucial period for promoting the healthy development of adolescents, and it also plays a pivotal role in cultivating exercise habits among undergraduate students. However, in the realm of exercise, we have observed a declining trend in proactive engagement, with students lacking access to a systematic exercise program to guide them. To address these issues and enhance the health and well-being of undergraduate students in Xi'an while simultaneously reducing anxiety, our goal was to develop an exercise program that can help students enhance their physical fitness and alleviate anxiety. Our ultimate aim is to foster the healthy growth of undergraduates by improving their physical fitness and reducing anxiety through a well-designed exercise regimen. Materials and Methods: First review physical fitness of low physical fitness and high anxiety of 1000 students at Xi'an Physical Education University. Survey anxiety of 45 students from university who had high anxiety levels by special sampling method.Result of a physical fitness test and anxiety test.Second semi-structured questionnaire and daft exercise program by experts’ deep interview. Next, we conduct an experimental exercise program. Finally, we can confirm the exercise program by survey. Result: Through the exercise programs we designed, we successfully increased students' fitness levels and reduced anxiety levels. After the students continued to exercise through this exercise program for eight weeks, the results of all physical fitness test items reached the passing level, and 31 students no longer felt anxious, while the number of students who felt mild anxiety dropped to 14. The findings strongly suggest that through targeted exercise programs, students' physical fitness levels can be significantly improved and help reduce anxiety on a psychological level. Conclusion: There are many students whose physical fitness scores are unsatisfactory, unqualified, and anxious. After eight weeks of physical exercise, the anxiety scores of 31 students were within the normal range, and the anxiety scores of 14 students had been reduced to low anxiety.

Assessment of nutritional status, physical fitness and physical activity of school going adolescents (12–15 years) in Delhi

BackgroundAdolescence is a distinct period that is crucial for setting the foundation for long-term health.ObjectiveTo assess the nutritional status, physical fitness, and physical activity of adolescents.MethodsThe present cross-sectional study recruited 100 adolescents purposively. Information regarding general profile and lifestyle-related factors was collected using a questionnaire. Anthropometric data such as height, weight, BMI, and body fat% were collected using appropriate equipment. Physical fitness was assessed using a battery adapted from FITNESSGRAM® and PAQ-A assessed the physical activity. Dietary intake was analysed using a 2-day 24-hour dietary recall.ResultThe study revealed, 19% of the participants were overweight and 6% were obese. The majority (74%) were physically inactive and 15% had high body fat %. There was lower consumption of energy, carbohydrates, iron, and calcium, than the recommendations. Also, physical activity scores were negatively associated with macronutrient intake and trunk lift (strength and flexibility) [p < 0.05]. Data showed lower physical fitness scores. BMI and hand-grip strength was positively correlated [p < 0.05]. Push Ups (endurance) and Standing Broad Jump (power) showed a negative correlation with body fat%. Tennis ball throw and PACER (cardiorespiratory fitness) were positively associated with protein intake. A multiple regression analysis significantly showed that a unit increase in cell phone usage increases body fat% by 11.64 units. Standing broad jump increases by 38.6 cm and decreases with 28.76 cm with a unit increase in playing outside and tuitions timings respectively.ConclusionPoor nutritional status, physical fitness, and physical activity were reported among adolescents. It is imperative to plan intervention strategies to improve the overall health of adolescents.

Intercorrelations among Hemoglobin Level, Physical Fitness, and Cognitive Score in Adolescent Girls: A Cross Sectional Study in Banggai District, Indonesia

Intercorrelations among Hemoglobin Level, Physical Fitness, and Cognitive Score in Adolescent Girls: A Cross Sectional Study in Banggai District, Indonesia

Effectiveness of the Osaka “Ten-Year Rejuvenation” Project

Introduction: The “Ten-year rejuvenation project” is an initiative of the Osaka Prefectural Government to reduce the physical and mental age of residents in the prefecture by ten years and enable them to live in good health and vitality in preparation for the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Our team tested a “Ten-year rejuvenation dance” for elderly people with the goal of enhancing participants’ muscle strength and physical fitness and improving their cognitive function through memorizing the dance choreography. Method: Groups of around 30 participants each were recruited at 12 locations in Osaka prefecture and the Ten-year rejuvenation dance was practiced once per week over two months. Physical and mental tests carried out before and after participation were compared. Videos were also distributed so participants could dance at home in their free time. The dance program combines elements from physical therapy to improve joint flexibility, balance, muscle strength, and agility. Results: Physical fitness and cognitive scores were both significantly increased and physical tests showed that physical age was reduced by five to ten years. These results confirmed the meaningfulness of continuing this activity. Conclusion: Continued dancing demonstrated positive effects on mind and body, so we plan to increase video distribution to elderly people who cannot leave the house, expand the implementation area, and continue verification in the future.

Effects of a single-day pre-academy physical test training session on physical fitness scores of police candidates.

Concerns are sometimes raised by police applicants undertaking physical fitness testing that they were unfamiliar with the test requirements which in turn negatively impacted their performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a single day physical test training session on physical fitness scores of police candidates. The sample consisted of female police candidates (n = 133) who attended a pre-academy training session. On the first day of pre-training, candidates' physical fitness was measured following official assessment day protocols. Measures included maximal handgrip strength, number of push-ups in 10 sec (PU), number of sit-ups in 30 sec (SU), standing long jump (SLJ), Abalakow jump test (AJ), 12 min Cooper running test (CT), and a motor educability test (ME). After the assessment, the overseeing UCIPS staff provided a detailed test skills briefing to candidates (e.g., common mistakes made during testing, how test performance could be improved, etc.). Immediately after the briefing, candidates performed the tests once again. Differences between results were measured using a paired samples t-test with significance set at 0.05. Paired sample t-tests determined significant (p < 0.001), large (Rank-Biserial Correlation = 1.00), improvements in physical fitness scores during the second assessment following familiarisation and feedback on test performance. Pre-academy training may be effective in improving candidates' physical fitness scores, in most tests, prior to the official assessment for the enrolment to police studies. Thus, to optimise initial candidate scores and opportunities for successful enlistment, police agencies may benefit from providing pre-assessment training.

The effectiveness of egg supplementation on nutritional status, physical fitness and cognition of school-aged children (8–12 Years) in Ho Municipality, Ghana

BackgroundEgg is a cheap source of essential micronutrients and high-quality protein, which can contribute to the daily nutritional needs of children, support their growth and brain development. Aim: The study evaluated the effectiveness of egg supplementation on nutritional status, physical fitness, and cognition of school-aged Children (8–12 Years) in Ho Municipality, Ghana. MethodsA school-based, double-blind randomized controlled trial design was adopted. Children aged 8 to 12 years from government-run primary schools were randomly allocated to receive either egg supplementation three times a week for three months or no supplementation at all for three months. Dietary intakes using a repeated 24-h dietary recall, Raven's cognition test, fitness level, BMI-for-age, and serum levels of ferritin, zinc, and albumin were assessed at baseline and after the intervention. ResultsAt pre-intervention, mean intake of several nutrients, including energy, CHO, protein, fat, iron zinc and folate were significantly higher in the intervention group. Post-intervention, these differences significantly increased for protein, fat, and iron, and reduced for energy, carbohydrate, folate, vitamin B6 and 12. Children on egg supplementation had a much higher increase in vitamin A intake (142.0 μg) than the controls (49.8 μg) between pre-and post-intervention. Regarding the physical fitness markers, pre-intervention mean handgrip, forward jump and total fitness scores were all higher in the intervention group and similar for the 50-m run. Post-intervention, the difference was lost while the total fitness score increased rather among controls (p < 0.001). For the biochemical markers, both serum ferritin (mean difference in control = 18.2 μg/L versus intervention= 20.1 μg/L) and zinc (mean difference in control 14.4 μg/L versus intervention 69.4 μg/L) increased more in the intervention than the controls. BMI-for-age z-score did not change between the intervention and control (p = 0.894) post-intervention, while the total cognition score improves slightly more in controls (4.8 points, p < 0.001) than in the intervention group (3.3 points, p < 0.001). ConclusionsThe results indicate that school children who consumed boiled eggs three times per week for three months had a higher mean intake of energy, carbohydrate, protein, iron, zinc, folate, and vitamins A and B6. The mean serum ferritin and albumin levels improved significantly higher in the experimental group. Egg supplementation did not significantly improve physical fitness and cognitive test scores of school-aged children. From this study, egg supplementation may improve some nutrients among school children but effects on congintion and physical fitness may require further study.

Student sports data analysis and physical fitness evaluation based on convolutional neural networks

&lt;p&gt;In order to achieve the analysis of student sports data and physical fitness evaluation, the author proposes a method based on convolutional neural networks. A hybrid algorithm combining genetic algorithm and error backpropagation algorithm (BP) is used to train convolutional neural networks. The algorithm first uses genetic algorithm for global training, and then uses BP algorithm for local precise training. This overcomes the drawbacks of traditional BP networks such as long training time and frequent local atmospheric drift, and improves global circulation performance. A neural network model was established to display the relationship between the total physical activity score and multiple test scores of high school students by utilizing electrical networks to demonstrate the connectivity of the neural network. This model aims to evaluate the athletic performance of college students and compare the results with other experimental models. The results indicate that the neural network-based model for evaluating college student physical activity can reflect the differences in physical activity and scores among all students, making it a suitable standard for evaluating high school student physical activity. The fitting accuracy of deterministic neural network models is higher than that of multiple linear regression models, which means that neural network models better reflect the performance of the network. The accuracy of various indicators of student physical fitness and total score makes the model easy to operate, accurate to predict, and effective analysis is scientifically reasonable.&lt;/p&gt;

The influence of physical literacy of student with different obesity levels on physical fitness: the mediating effect of MVPA.

Perceived physical literacy (PL) is a potential factor for improving health and physical activity, but the relationship between PL and physical fitness (PF) among college students with different obesity levels has not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between PL, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and PF among college students with different obesity levels. We recruited Chinese university students to complete a questionnaire and conducted a survey using the Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument Scale (PPLI-SC) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). The physical fitness test data were used for data analysis. The direct and indirect impacts were analyzed using Pearson correlation and the SPSS Hayes process macro (Model 4). The study surveyed 909 boys and 1,668 girls for a total of 2,577 valid questionnaires. Similarly, the MVPA and perceived PL of boys were significantly greater than those of girls (p < 0.01), but the opposite was true for the PF score. The correlation analysis showed that MVPA, perceived PL, and PF were significantly correlated (p < 0.01). For normal weight student, the results showed that the direct effect of PL on PF was still statistically significant (β = 0.076, p < 0.01) after adding MVPA; MVPA had a positive effect on PF after controlling for perceived PL (β = 0.055, p < 0.05). Perceived PL has a positive effect on MVPA (β = 0.123, p < 0.01). The mediating effect of MVPA was notably significant, with a mediation effect percentage of 7.9%. However, it has been found that among the underweight population, there is an absence of a significant relationship between PL, PF, and MVPA (p > 0.05). Contrarily, in the overweight and obese groups, the mediating role of MVPA in the relationship between PL and PF was not statistically supported (-0.002, 0.033). For normal weight student, perceived PL has a positive impact on PF and can also be promoted by increasing the pathway of MVPA. For both underweight individuals and obese populations, further investigation is needed into methods for promoting PA and improving PF.

Do participants in a physical activity program from a Care Sport Connector become healthier? An explorative study from the Netherlands

Introduction Care Sport Connectors (CSCs) have been appointed to create a connection between the primary care and physical activity (PA) sectors to stimulate residents who are inactive to become more physically active to gain health benefits. The objective of this explorative study was to find out whether CSCs achieve these goals by testing the hypothesis that more residents become physically active, and score higher for health-related fitness and health-related quality of life. Method We conducted a longitudinal study design whereby participants (n = 402) were measured at three time points: at the start of their PA program (T0); after 6 months (T1); and after 1 year (T2). Participants conducted a fitness test to measure their health-related physical fitness and filled in questionnaires to assess PA level (PA-, Fit-, Combi-, and sport norm), health-related quality of life, motivation for PA, and personal information. We used a multi-level analysis to test whether outcomes of participants differ over time. Participants who dropped out and maintainers were compared with a chi-square test and a one-way ANOVA. Results This study showed that one-third of the participants dropped out (n = 139). Participants who dropped out were, compared with maintainers, less physically active (P = 0.004) and were more often reached in bigger municipalities, by an integral approach. More participants meet the PA norm (P = 0.007) and sport norm (P&lt;0.001) at T2 then at T0. Scores in health-related physical fitness and quality of life were significant but not a meaningful gain in health-related fitness. Conclusion More residents become physically active and participate in sport because they took part in a PA programs or activity organized by a CSC. Lifestyle interventions should be offered with a higher frequency, intensity, and focus on behavior change. It is necessary to invest in combined lifestyle interventions offered by a collaboration of primary care, welfare, and PA professionals.

Analysis of physical fitness in students: a comparative study based on social status

Background and Study Aim. Physical fitness serves as a significant indicator of an individual's health and overall well-being. This research aims to analyze students' physical fitness by conducting a comparative study based on social status. Physical fitness was measured as an indicator of students' health and well-being.Material and Methods. Quantitative descriptive research using survey method. This study involved low-grade students from two elementary schools, namely Mujahidin Elementary School and State Elementary School 16 Rasau Jaya, which have different social status. The sampling method used purposive sampling technique, with a total sample of 40 students from each school. Physical fitness data collection was conducted using the Indonesian Physical Fitness Test. Analysis was assisted using the SPSS 26 application.Results. The results showed a significance value of 0.538 &gt; 0.05 that there was no significant difference in physical fitness between students from both schools based on social status. Although there were variations in the mean physical fitness scores, the differences did not reach the level of statistical significance.Conclusions. This study contributes to the understanding of physical fitness differences based on social status among low-grade students. The implications of the results of this study can be used for the development of more focused intervention programs to improve physical fitness, especially among students with economic and educational challenges.

The Physical Condition and Lifestyle Dimensions on Physical Fitness among College Students

The physical health of male and female students at Guangdong Ocean University is generally satisfactory, with their body mass indexes clustered around normal levels, forming a bell curve distribution. When examining total physical fitness scores, male students peak during their sophomore year but decline in their junior year, while female students excel in their senior year but face challenges during their freshman year. Both genders grapple with malnutrition and obesity, with a higher incidence of malnutrition among female students and a greater prevalence of pre-obesity and obesity among males. In terms of lifestyle, students at Guangdong Ocean University lean towards healthy habits. Female students slightly outperform males, although the distinction is not significant. Both genders excel in internet use, interpersonal relationships, coping styles, hygiene, and study habits but struggle with eating and sleep quality. Notably, there are significant differences across five dimensions: sleep quality, study habits, physical exercise, tobacco and alcohol use, and coping styles. In these categories, males outperform females in physical exercise, internet use, and coping styles, while females fare better in tobacco and alcohol use, study habits, and sleep quality. Student lifestyles vary with academic progress. Those in lower grades exhibit healthier lifestyles, with sophomores achieving the highest scores and seniors the lowest. Overall, lifestyle scores tend to decrease as academic levels rise. Crucially, a significant correlation exists between students' physical fitness indicators and their lifestyle dimensions. A stepwise regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of lifestyle on physical condition, using physical form, function, and quality indexes as dependent variables and ten lifestyle dimensions as independent variables. Among male students, hygiene and physical exercise affect physical form, physical exercise, tobacco and alcohol use, and dietary habits influence physical function, while sleep quality, dietary habits, physical exercise, and tobacco and alcohol use impact physical quality. For female students, dietary habits, sleep quality, and physical exercise influence physical form, dietary habits and physical exercise affect physical function, and sleep quality, dietary habits, and physical exercise play a role in physical quality. This study sheds light on the health and lifestyles of Guangdong Ocean University students, highlighting gender disparities in physical fitness and lifestyle habits. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing these variations and tailoring interventions to enhance the overall well-being of the student population.

A cohort study of factors influencing the physical fitness of preschool children: a decision tree analysis.

Based on the decision tree model, to explore the key influencing factors of children's physical fitness, rank the key influencing factors, and explain the complex interaction between the influencing factors. A cohort study design was adopted. 1,276 children (ages 3-6) from 23 kindergartens in Nanchang, China, were chosen for the study to measure the children's physical fitness at baseline and a year later and to compare the physical fitness scores at the two stages. The study was conducted following the Chinese National Physical Fitness Testing Standard (Children Part); To identify the primary influencing factors of changes in physical fitness, a decision tree model was developed, and a questionnaire survey on birth information, feeding patterns, SB, PA, dietary nutrition, sleep, parental factors, and other relevant information was conducted. The levels of physical fitness indicators among preschool children showed a significant increase after 1 year. The accuracy of the CHAID model is 84.17%. It showed that 7 variables were strongly correlated with the physical changes of children's fitness, the order of importance of each variable was weekend PA, weekend MVPA, mother's BMI, mother's sports frequency, father's education, mother's education, and school day PA. Three factors are related to PA. Four factors are related to parental circumstances. In addition to the seven important variables mentioned, variables such as breakfast frequency on school day, puffed food, frequency of outing, school day MVPA, parental feeling of sports, father's occupation, and weekend breakfast frequency are all statistically significant leaf node variables. PA, especially weekend PA, is the most critical factor in children's physical fitness improvement and the weekend MVPA should be increased to more than 30 min/d based on the improvement of weekend PA. In addition, parental factors and school day PA are also important in making decisions about changes in fitness for children. The mother's efforts to maintain a healthy BMI and engage in regular physical activity are crucial for enhancing the physical fitness of children. Additionally, other parental factors, such as the parents' educational levels and the father's occupation, can indirectly impact the level of physical fitness in children.

Effects of Cross-Training Exercise Program to Improve Health-related Physical Fitness for University Students in Guangdong

Background and Aim: Health-related physical fitness test is beneficial to the health-related physical fitness of college students. According to the researcher's survey, most students do not have an awareness of daily physical exercise, which leads to a decline in physical function and health-related physical fitness scores. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of cross-training programs on improving college students' health-related physical fitness, to improve college students' health-related physical fitness scores by constructing an 8-week cross-training program, and to encourage students to actively participate in extracurricular physical exercise to promote health-related physical fitness and to form the awareness of lifelong sports. The results of this study show that cross-training can improve students' health-related physical fitness performance and that even after only 4 weeks of cross-training, students' health-related physical fitness performance can still make significant progress. Materials and Methods: The study involves Guangdong Province Foreign Language and Arts Vocational College of Catering and Tourism College 2022 students, the total number of grades 710 people, health-related physical fitness scores failed 66 people, using G-Power in 66 students to calculate the sample size of 28 students (14 male，14 female) aged between 18-22 years old. The research procedure started with anthropometric measurements: height, weight, BMI, body fat percentage, etc. Subsequently, cross-training was performed. Tests included: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. The experiment lasted for eight weeks, with five one-hour training sessions per week. Subjects underwent Health-related physical fitness tests in the first, fourth, and eighth weeks. Results: The 8-week cross-training program reduced students' BMI and body fat percentage, and improved students' health-related physical fitness grades and physical fitness. The student's health-related physical fitness grades failed in the first week, improved significantly in the fourth week (67 points), and the average score in the eighth week (75 points) improved even more significantly. Conclusion: Constructing a cross-training program had a significant effect on improving cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility in college students. It also increased their BMI and body fat percentage. It was concluded that an 8-week cross-training program decreased students' BMI and body fat levels while increasing muscle mass and improving health-related physical fitness scores, and students showed significant improvement in fitness scores in week 4 and even more significant improvement in week eight. Considering the positive effects of training on physical function and fitness, it is recommended that extracurricular sports be promoted so that more people can exercise in their spare time.

Revitalizing student physical fitness: The vital role of post-pandemic physical activity programs

In post-COVID-19 pandemic conditions, students are not engaging in physical activity both at school and at home, leading to a decline in the quality of students’ physical fitness. The objective of this study is to enhance the physical fitness of students by implementing a well-structured, accurate, consistent, and quantifiable physical exercise program, while also monitoring sports activities undertaken by students. This research employs a pseudo-experimental pre-test post-test design. The study sample consisted of 117 students. The selection technique utilized is purposive sampling. The instrument for assessing physical fitness is the Indonesian Physical Freshness Test (TKJI). The data analysis technique employs paired sample t-tests. The findings reveal a significant effect of the sports activity program on students’ physical fitness, with an average physical fitness score increase of 13% for Junior High School 01, 11% for Junior High School 39, 9% for Junior High School 14, and 5% for Junior High School 24. This is corroborated by t-test results using a paired sample t-test, with a t-value of −3.754 and a significance value of p = 0.001 (p &lt; 0.05). Based on these results, it can be concluded that the implementation of sports activity programs in various junior high schools in the city of Padang significantly improves students’ physical fitness in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

Effect of Extracurricular After-School Physical Activities on Academic Performance of Schoolchildren

The beneficial effects of increasing outdoor physical activity time on children's myopia onset and physical well-being are widely acknowledged. However, in countries with competitive educational systems, such as China, parents and school administrators may be relatively reluctant to increase the extracurricular physical activity time for children due to concerns that this action will compromise children's academic performance. To investigate whether additional extracurricular physical activity time after school compromises the academic performance of schoolchildren. This cluster randomized clinical trial was conducted from October 2020 to June 2021 in Yudu, Jiangxi, China. Eligible children in grades 3 and 4 from 24 elementary schools were randomized to the intervention or control group. Primary analysis was conducted in the full sample using the intention-to-treat principle. The intervention group received 2 hours of after-school physical activity time outdoors on school days. The control group was free to arrange their after-school activity. The primary outcome was the between-group mean difference in mathematics test scores at the end of 1 academic year, with a noninferiority margin of -3.3 points. Standardized mathematics tests, physical fitness assessments (in reference to the 2018 National Physical Fitness Survey Monitoring Programme in China), and cycloplegic autorefraction were performed at baseline and the end of 1 academic year. Myopia was defined as a cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction of -0.5 diopters or less in either eye. A total of 2032 children (mean [SD] age, 9.22 [0.62] years; 1040 girls [51.2%]) from 24 schools were randomized to the intervention group (12 schools; 1012 children) or control group (12 schools; 1020 children). The mean (SD) mathematics score at the end of 1 academic year was 78.01 (17.56) points in the intervention group and 77.70 (17.29) points in the control group. The adjusted between-group mean difference was 0.65 points (95% CI, -2.85 to 4.15). The adjusted between-group mean difference in physical fitness score was 4.95 points (95% CI, 3.56-6.34; P < .001) and -1.90% (95% CI, -18.72% to 14.91%; P > .99) in myopia incidence. Results of this trial indicate that, compared with the control practice of free play after school, adding 2 hours of extracurricular physical activity outdoors after school was noninferior in academic performance and had superior efficacy in improving physical fitness. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04587765.