Promotion Of Physical Fitness Research Articles

Physical fitness in Austrian elementary school children prior to and post-COVID-19.

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries implemented policies that included movement restrictions, social distancing and school closures in order to control the spread of the virus. Even though these actions may have been necessary to save lives, there have been some unintended consequences that could affect future public health. The present study uses data from more than 24,500 Austrian elementary school children (51.2% male) that participated in a state-wide fitness evaluation program, which was initiated in the 2016/17 school year. In addition to body weight and height, data on cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular power, speed, agility, flexibility and object control were collected from three cohorts prior to the implementation of movement restrictions (school years: 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19) and one cohort in 2022, after the majority of COVID-19 policies had been lifted. Body mass index percentiles were significantly higher in children post-COVID-19 (p < 0.01). Further, cardiorespiratory endurance, agility and flexibility were significantly lower post-COVID-19 compared to the years preceding movement restrictions (p ≤ 0.01), while absolute muscular strength was higher in the year 2022 (p < 0.01). Given the detrimental effects of COVID-19 policies on physical fitness in children, additional efforts are necessary that include versatile opportunities for physical activity and the promotion of physical fitness in order to modify the observed negative health trajectories and ensure future public health.

Assessing the Association of Shoulder Pain Risk with Physical Fitness in Badminton Players at National Tournament Level

Background: Shoulder pain which affects sports performance and activities of daily life, is a common musculoskeletal problem experienced by badminton players. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the association of shoulder pain with physical fitness in elite university badminton players participating in the national tournament via medical check-ups. Methods: Physical fitness evaluations were performed among fifty-two 18 - 22 years old university badminton players participating in the national tournament. Handgrip strength, heel buttock distance, angle of straight leg raise, single leg stance, shoulder range of motion, and trunk range of motion were assessed. The prevalence of present shoulder pain was described. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of present shoulder pain with physical fitness. Results: Sixteen badminton players (30.8%) sustained present shoulder pain related to badminton. Dominant trunk rotation (adjusted OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84 - 0.99, P-value = 0.028) and single leg stance of the nondominant leg (adjusted OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.94 - 1.00, P-value = 0.048) were significantly associated with the presence of present shoulder pain. Conclusions: Decreased trunk rotation and deficit in single-leg stance balance might be potential risk factors associated with physical fitness for shoulder pain in university badminton players at national tournament level. These findings can help draw the attention of badminton coaches, players, and team members to facilitate physical fitness promotion for badminton pain/injury prevention.

Multiscale Impact of Environmental and Socio-Economic Factors on Low Physical Fitness among Chinese Adolescents and Regionalized Coping Strategies.

As low physical fitness in adolescents increases their risk of all-cause mortality in future adulthood as well as regional public health budgets, many scholars have studied the factors influencing physical fitness in adolescents. However, the spatial non-stationarity and scale between physical fitness and influencing factors in adolescents are often neglected. To rectify this situation, this study constructed a multi-scale geographically weighted regression model based on data from the China National Student Fitness Survey and the China Statistical Yearbook in 2018 to investigate the spatial patterns of factors influencing low physical fitness among adolescents. The results showed that the influencing factors for measuring the physical fitness of Chinese adolescents had significant spatial heterogeneity and multi-scale effects. The local R2 values were relatively low in the western region of China. Consideration should be given to increasing the lifestyle and ethnic and cultural characteristics of local residents when selecting influencing factors in the future. The physical fitness of men was mainly influenced by socio-economic factors, while that of women was influenced by natural environmental factors. According to the different spatial distribution patterns of MGWR, this study suggests that each region should develop regionalized strategies to cope with the low physical fitness of adolescents, including taking advantage of the natural environment to develop physical fitness promotion projects, accelerating the upgrading of industrial structures in the north-eastern and western regions, and the need to remain cautious of rapid urbanization in the east.

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown On Body Mass Index And Physical Fitness Among Chinese University Students

PURPOSE: To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on body mass index (BMI) and physical fitness (PF) among university students in China. METHODS: A total of 5,164 participants (male: 3,604, 69.8%) aged 18.4 ± 0.6 years from three Chinese universities were included in this study. These students were required to undergo BMI and PF tests by their universities annually. Two cohorts of students (the 1st cohort from Oct. 2018 to Oct. 2019, n = 2614; the 2nd cohort from Oct. 2019 to Oct. 2020, n = 2550) were compared, and 1-year changes in BMI and PFs of the 1st cohort (with no pandemic lockdown exposure: NoPL) and the 2nd cohort (with COVID-19 pandemic lockdown exposure: CoPL) were examined in this study. The changes in BMI and PFs were calculated by subtracting the data at baseline from the data at follow-up. Increase in BMI (the upper 25% of the distribution of the BMI change) and decrease in PFs (the lower 25% of the distribution of PFs changes) were the outcome variables. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for changes in BMI and PFs including vital capacity, 50-meter sprint, sit and reach, standing long jump, pull-ups (only for males) / timed sit-ups (only for females), and 1,000-meter run (only for males) / 800-meter run (only for females) were calculated using logistic regression models after adjustment for age and all other pre-measurement items. RESULTS: Comparing with the NoPL, the odds ratios (95% CIs) for increase in BMI, and decrease in PFs including vital capacity, 50-meter sprint, sit and reach, standing long jump, pull-ups, and 1,000-meter run were 1.68 (1.44-1.97), 1.03 (0.87-1.22), 3.99 (3.34-4.77), 0.74 (0.63-0.87), 1.13 (0.97-1.32), 2.94 (2.48-3.46), and 1.52 (1.30-1.77), respectively for males in the CoPL. Corresponding results in females for increase in BMI and decrease in PFs were 0.30 (0.23-0.39), 1.06 (0.82-1.36), 2.51 (1.97-3.21), 0.38 (0.29-0.49), 0.99 (0.78-1.26), 1.43 (1.13-1.81), and 2.06 (1.63-2.60). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that there was a significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on BMI, explosive power, flexibility, muscular strength, aerobic fitness in both males and females. These findings may contribute to the development of targeted intervention strategies for weight loss and PF promotion during the lockdown caused by the public health emergency.

Newer Diabetes Management Options and Physical Fitness to Promote Cardiovascular Benefits

A plethora of diabetes studies and established clinical guidelines show the strong salutary benefit of aerobic, resistance, and/or combination exercise for improved glycemic and cardiovascular outcomes. Promotion of physical fitness is a cornerstone approach to improved diabetes management especially since subjects with diabetes have reduced baseline aerobic exercise capacity (i.e., reduced cardiorespiratory fitness) with associated increased risk for premature all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Since medications are often used in conjunction with fitness promotion this can result in complex interaction between management modalities. More recently, newer options such as glucose transporter-2 inhibitors and incretin agonists have shown to improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes in cardiovascular outcomes trials. Indeed, both classes of agents have experimentally the potential to synergize with exercise training but clinical data vis-à-vis cardiorespiratory fitness is still preliminary. Review of the interaction of exercise and metformin shows no improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness. The use of glucose transporter-2 inhibitors may improve fitness performance in those with diabetes and heart failure. Although incretin agonists have physiological effects on the vasculature and heart, they lack similar clinical supportive data.

Is Subjective Age Associated with Physical Fitness in Community-Dwelling Older Adults?

Although subjective age has been associated with a range of health-related outcomes, there has been little systematic study on the relationship between the subjective age and physical fitness in a given population. The purpose of this study was to determine the prospective association between subjective age and physical fitness in community-dwelling older adults. A sample of 276 older people who lived in the community was studied. Subjective age was measured by a face-to-face interview. Grip strength, balancing on one leg with eyes open, the 30 s chair stand test, 4 m habitual walk, and 6 min walk test were measured to reflect physical fitness. Results indicated that the felt younger older adults had a higher level of physical fitness compared to their felt older and felt the same counterparts. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that all the measured physical fitness items were significantly associated with subjective age in older men. All of the measured physical fitness items except for the 4 m habitual walk were remarkably related to subjective age in older women. The findings suggest that subjective age is closely associated with physical fitness in community-dwelling older adults. Much attention should be paid to the promotion of physical fitness to improve the subjective age of older adults.

Physical fitness and frailty status of frail older adults in long-term care facilities after acupunch exercises: A cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Frailty is a complex geriatric syndrome and serves as an indicator for functional degradation in older adults. Regular exercise intervention could reduce the level of frailty and improve general physical fitness. The aim of this study was to test the effects of the Vitality Acupunch (VA) exercise on the promotion of physical fitness and the improvement of frailty status among frail older adults in long-term care facilities. This study was a cluster-randomized controlled trial adopted a pretest-posttest design. Using convenience sampling, 81 frail adults older than 65years of age from 10 long-term care facilities participated in this study. The older adults were cluster-randomized by facility into an intervention group (5 long-term care facilities, n=40) and a control group (5 long-term care facilities, n=41). The intervention group engaged in the VA exercise 3 times a week, each lasting 40min, for 24weeks. The control group maintained regular activities of daily living. The outcome measures for physical fitness were assessed before study began (pretest), at the 12th week (posttest 1), and at the 24th week (posttest 2) in the study. After a 24-week intervention, the frail older adults who engaged in the VA exercise program showed significant improvements in handgrip strength, upper-limb muscle endurance, lung function, shoulder flexibility, forward flexion, shoulder joint flexion, and shoulder joint abduction (all p<0.05) but not in lower-limb muscle endurance (p=0.502) compared against their pretest data. The intervention group had significantly better physical fitness and positive changes in frailty status than the control group (all p<0.001), except for the lower-limb muscle endurance (p=0.557). Regular engagement in the VA exercise program for 24weeks significantly improved the physical fitness and frailty status of frail older adults in long-term care facilities.

A STUDY OF THE STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION MOTIVE IN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS CLUB

The purpose of this study was to explore students’ participation motive in High school sports clubs in a qualitative research manner. The research participants included 15 High school students who joined the sports club. The research was performed using conducting one-to-one deep interviews through semi-structured questionnaires. The interview data were analyzed in combination with field notes and focus group interview data to construct a mental process of the High school students in joining the sports club by utilization of a grounded theory approach. The results showed that: there were four high-order topics of the students for joining the sports clubs, namely Self-Demand, Social Support, Interpersonal Interaction and Self-Actualization. The Self-Demand contains four low-order topics; interest, pressure resistance promotion, physical fitness promotion and focused promotion. Social Support contains three low-order topics; peer influence, family support and teacher support. Interpersonal Interaction contains two low-order topics; cooperation and respect. Finally, Self-Actualization contains two low-order topics; the inspiration of potency and sense of accomplishment. It was concluded that the High school students joined the sports club due to meeting the self-demand, being influenced by the social support, suffering from the interpersonal interaction with good learning students, and inspiring the possibility of self-actualization.

Association of Body Weight and Physical Fitness during the Elementary School Years.

Physical fitness and body weight are key correlates of health. Nevertheless, an increasing number of children display poor physical fitness and high body weight. The aim of this study was to examine the prospective association of physical fitness with body weight throughout the elementary school years with a special emphasis on children with high body weight or poor physical fitness at baseline. A total of 303 Austrian children (55.1% male) completed the German motor test up to eight times over a 4-year time span (between the ages 6 and 10 years). Physical fitness did not differ across quartiles of body weight at baseline. A more pronounced weight gain, however, was associated with an impaired development of physical fitness and this association was more pronounced in children with higher baseline body weight. In addition, the detrimental effects of an impaired development of physical fitness on subsequent body weight were more pronounced in children with higher baseline body weight. No differences in the longitudinal association between body weight and physical fitness, on the other hand, were observed across quartiles of baseline fitness. These results emphasize the importance of the promotion of physical fitness, particularly in children with increased body weight, to ensure future health.

Changes in Physical Fitness during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown among Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study.

The negative impact of COVID-19 on physical activity has been improved, while the research on changes in physical fitness that may be caused by physical inactivity is still scarce. This study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on physical fitness, and the impact of initial physical fitness indicators on their changes during the lockdown in adolescents. A longitudinal study including 265 adolescents aged 14.1 ± 0.4 years old was conducted in China. Physical fitness measurement at baseline and follow-up were respectively measured before (November 2019) and after the lockdown (July 2020). Several physical fitness indicators including aerobic fitness (i.e., 800-m or 1000-m run) and explosive force (i.e., 50-m sprint) deteriorated during the lockdown. Whereas the performances of vital capacity, flexibility (i.e., sit and reach), and muscular strength (i.e., pull-ups) were significantly improved during the lockdown. Furthermore, the reduction in physical fitness for adolescents with higher physical fitness before the lockdown was greater than that for others. These findings may contribute to the development of targeted intervention strategies for physical fitness promotion during the lockdown caused by the public health emergency.

ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH ON THE KEY FACTORS OF SPORTS IN MAINTAINING HUMAN HEALTH

ABSTRACT Introduction The research on the promotion of physical fitness of the human body by exercise has also attracted widespread attention in sports and rehabilitation medicine. Object This article uses ultrasound to study the bone density health of the human body, thereby establishing the relationship between sports and bone density health. We hope to use the research results of this article to improve people’s awareness of sports health. Method We used ultrasound to test the bone mineral density of two groups of students (exercise group and non-exercise group) to explore the relationship between different sports items and the students’ bone mineral density. Results There is a significant difference in bone density between the two groups of students. There is no gender difference in bone density. Conclusion Students need to strengthen physical exercise in the growth and development stage to improve bone density. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

Can Anthropometry and Body Composition Explain Physical Fitness Levels in School-Aged Children?

Physical fitness (PF) is closely related to various health outcomes and quality of life among children. However, the associations between anthropometry, body composition (BC), and PF are not fully elucidated. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the associations between demographic metrics (age, sex), anthropometric measures (body mass index z-score (BMI z-score) waist/height ratio (WHtR)), BC parameters (body-fat percentage (BF%), muscle weight), and PF levels (800-m run, sit-and-reach, 1-min sit-ups, standing long jump) in school-aged children. Continuous variables were dichotomized by median splits. The results of 180 girls and 180 boys (mean age: 10.0 ± 0.7 years; mean BMI z-score: 0.366 ± 1.216) were analyzed. Multivariable linear regressions revealed that BF% (regression coefficient (B) = 3.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.5–4.3) was independently correlated with the 800-m run. Sex (B = 4.6, 95% CI = 3.0–6.3), age (B = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.9–4.3), and BMI z-score (B = −0.7, 95% CI = −1.4–−0.1) were independently related to sit-and-reach. Age (B = 3.3, 95% CI = 2.0–4.7), BF% (B = −0.3, 95% CI = −0.4–−0.2), and muscle weight (B = 0.7, 95% CI = 0.2–1.2) were independently associated with 1-min sit-ups. In addition to demography, anthropometry and BC provided additional information concerning some PF levels in school-aged children. Weight management and PF promotion should be addressed simultaneously in terms of preventive medicine and health promotion for children.

Propósitos de la Educación Física en Educación Secundaria: revisión bibliográfica (Purposes of Physical Education in Secondary Education: a bibliographic review)

&#x0D; El principal objetivo de este trabajo fue llevar a cabo una revisión de la literatura para conocer cuáles son los objetivos y finalidades de la asignatura de Educación Física (EF) en el currículo escolar de Educación Secundaria. Se llevó a cabo una revisión sistemática a través del proceso PRISMA desde el año 2014 hasta mayo del 2020 (inclusive) en las bases de datos Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC y SPORTDiscus, empleando los términos “physical education”, “purpose OR role” y “high school”. Se seleccionaron un total de 38 artículos que cumplen todos los requisitos requeridos para su inclusión. Los artículos para la revisión fueron seleccionados bajo los criterios: (a) escritos en español, inglés o portugués; (b) publicados en una peer-reviewed journal; (c) que incluyesen como participantes a alumnado entre 12 y 16 años, profesorado o progenitores. Los resultados mostraron que en la mayoría de los estudios el principal objetivo de la EF era la categoría referida a la promoción de estilos de vida saludable (20); también se encontraron un buen número de estudios relacionados con la promoción del gusto por las actividades físicas (10) y del aprendizaje relacionado con la salud y el deporte (9). Las categorías con menos presencia fueron la promoción de la aptitud física (5), fines educativos generales (5) y promover la catarsis (3). La aplicación de los conocimientos actuales en la formación inicial y continua de los docentes, además de los currículos educativos, permitiría alinear la práctica con los modelos ecológicos que promueven estilos de vida saludables y activos. &#x0D; Abstract. This paper aimed to carry out a literature review about the objectives and purposes of physical education (PE) in the school curricula of secondary educationIt was conducted a systematic review process using the PRISMA protocol from 2014 to May 2020 (included) in the databases Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC and SPORTDiscus, using the terms “physical education”, “purpose OR role” and “high school”. As a result, a total of 38 items were selected that met all the requirements for inclusion. The articles for the review were selected under the criteria: (a) written in Spanish, English, or Portuguese (b) published in a peer-reviewed journal (c) to include students between 12 and 16 years old, teachers or parents as participants. The results showed how most of the studies propose the category referred to the promotion of healthy lifestyles as the main objective of PE (20); there were also several studies related to the promotion of the like for physical activities (10) and promotion of health and sport-related learning (9). as well as the integral formation of the individual through PE, inside the general education aims category. The categories with less presence were the promotion of physical fitness (5), the general education aims (5) and category of promoting catharsis (3). The application of current knowledge in the initial and in-service training of teachers, in addition to educational curricula, would make it possible to align practice with ecological models that promote healthy and active lifestyles.

Physical fitness cognition, assessment, and promotion: A cross-sectional study in Taiwan.

IntroductionMany health organizations have promoted the importance of the health-related benefits of physical fitness and physical activity. Studies have evaluated effective public health practice aiming to understand the cognition of physical activity among youths and adolescents. However, studies investigating the level of cognition and knowledge of physical fitness among Asian adults are lacking.PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the self-awareness level of physical fitness and exercise prescription and the demand for physical fitness assessment among Taiwanese adults.MethodsIn January–July 2019, a cross-sectional anonymous survey was conducted using Research Electronic Data Capture to gather data on demographic data, cognition investigation of physical fitness and exercise prescription, cognitive test of physical fitness and exercise prescription, and demand for physical fitness assessment.ResultsThe questionnaire was answered by 200 respondents. The rating for cognition investigation of physical fitness was 2.63–3.13 (unclear to mostly clear) and for exercise prescription was 2.05–2.76 (unclear) (rated on a 5-point Likert scale). Results show that lack of awareness was highest for health-related physical fitness, exercise prescription, and exercise progress planning. 98% of subjects did not know the latest recommended guidelines for physical activity, despite most agreeing that physical fitness and exercise are good for health. Most subjects (72%) indicated a willingness to accept self-pay service for physical fitness assessments.ConclusionsThis is the first study to report on the demand for cognition, assessment, and promotion of physical fitness among Taiwanese adults. The study shows that the subjects widely lack knowledge in the cognition of physical fitness and exercise prescription. Furthermore, a self-pay service for the physical fitness assessment and individualized exercise prescription were acceptable to most subjects, especially those undergoing regular health examinations. The findings are encouraging and will aid support for health organizations and professionals in the development and management of promotion strategies on health-related physical fitness in preventive medicine and health promotion.

Physical Fitness Promotion among Adolescents: Effects of a Jump Rope-Based Physical Activity Afterschool Program.

The major purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a jump rope-based physical activity afterschool program on middle school students’ physical fitness. Sixty students (Mage = 13.37, SD = 0.58; 53.3% female) participated in a 12-week jump rope-based afterschool program (45 min/time, three times/week). Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: (a) freestyle rope skipping (N = 20), traditional jump rope (N = 20), and a control group (N = 20). Physical fitness tests, including muscular strength (standing long jump, right-hand grip, and left-hand grip), flexibility, body composition, and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured in pre- and post-tests. A 2 (time) × 3 (groups) repeated measure multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed. The results found significant improvements in muscular strength (standing long jump, right-hand grip, and left-hand grip) in both intervention groups (p < 0.001; ds = 0.2–0.44). Only the freestyle rope skipping group had increased BMD (p < 0.05, d = 0.33). Compared to the traditional jump rope, the freestyle rope skipping group showed significantly higher improvement in flexibility (p < 0.05, d = 0.83). These findings suggest that the jump rope-based afterschool program with freestyle rope skipping would be more effective than traditional jump rope to promote physical fitness performance among adolescents.

Exercise Preconditioning-induced Attenuation Of Acute Colitis Is Associated With Gut Microbiota Symbiosis In Wild Type Mice

PURPOSE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of exercise preconditioning against acute colitis induced by high-fat diet (HF) plus mild dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) treatment in wild type mice. METHODS: C57BL/6 male mice aged at 6 weeks were assigned to standard chow (SC, n=10) or HF (n=10) or HF plus DSS (HF+DSS, n=10) or exercise preconditioning (EX) with HF+DSS (EX+HF+DSS, n=10), and the mice were subjected to 15 weeks of dietary treatments, with 12 weeks of a moderate treadmill running (50 minutes per session and 5 days per week) and 2 cycles of 5-day DSS (2% w/v) administration included. Measured parameters included clinical symptoms of acute colitis, pro- and anti-inflammatory and chemotactic cytokines, gut barrier proteins, and immunity cells. Gut microbiota was explored by 16S ribosomal RNA amplification sequencing in fecal samples. RESULTS: Chronic exposure to HF resulted in colitis symptoms (significant weight gain, enlargement of the spleen, and shortening of colon length) and histological changes in the colon, decreased gut barrier proteins (zonula occludens-1 and heat shock protein 70), infiltration of immunity cells (neutrophils and monocytes in the colon and blood), increased expression of toll-like receptor 4 in the colon, and increased pro-inflammatory and chemotactic cytokines (interlukin-6, growth-regulated oncogene-α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) and decreased anti-inflammatory cytokine (adiponectin) in the colon and blood, and those pathologic markers of acute colitis were exacerbated by DSS treatment. Exercise preconditioning alleviated the severity of HF+DSS-induced acute colitis and caused symbiotic modifications in gut microbiota, as shown by a lesser abundance of Bacteroides vulgatus (p=0.050) and a greater abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (p=0.050). CONCLUSIONS: The current findings suggest that exercise preconditioning alleviates the severity of HF+DSS-induced colitis in conjunction with gut microbiota symbiosis in wild-type mice, implying a preventive/therapeutic potential of promotion of physical fitness via regular exercise against this experimentally-induced acute colitis. This study was supported by the National Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government (NRF-2018R1D1A1B07048153 and 2019R1I1A1A01052817).

Effectiveness of a machine-assisted healthy physical fitness promotion program for community elderly.

Maintaining physical fitness is important for health of the elderly. How to implement an effective and efficient model is a practical issue. A healthy physical fitness promotion program with machine-assisted exercises was designed for elderly and executed in a community in 2015 and 2016. The program was implemented for 10 to 12 weeks with two (group 1) or three (group 2) sessions per week, and functional fitness tests were conducted before, at the end, and 3 months after the training. This study is to investigate the effectiveness of machine-assisted physical fitness promotion program for the community elderly. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the participants' data, including sex, age, height, weight, waist-hip ratio, grip strength, back stretch, chair sit-and-reach, 30-second chair stand, 30-second arm curl, 2-minute step, single-leg standing, 8-ft up-and-go, and body composition. The differences in test results before, at the end, and 3 months after the training and the percentage change at different time intervals between the two groups were compared. After training, body mass index in group 2 and the test completion time for 8-ft up-and-go in group 1 decline significantly; furthermore, significant increase was noted in the height and number of times of 2-minute step in both groups, and grip strength, number of times of their 30-second arm curl, and 30-second chair stand in group 2. The training effect sustained 3 months after the training in height and number of times of 2-minute step in both groups, and grip strength, number of times of their 30-second arm curl, and 30-second chair stand in group 2. This study discovered that 10 to 12 weeks of machine-assisted exercise training can improve the elderly community members' body composition, muscle strength, muscle endurance, agility, dynamic balance, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Moreover, with three sessions per week, its effects were even maintained for 3 months after the training.

Study on the Strategy of Mass Health and Physical Fitness Promotion in Tibetan Plateaus from the Perspective of Environmental Science

Based on the methods of literature, questionnaires and mathematical statistics, the health status and physical fitness activities of Tibetan plateau people are studied based on environmental factors. In response to the existing problems, it is recommended that the management department rationally and scientifically avoid environmental unfavorable factors in the context of “precise poverty alleviation” and “counter aid construction”, and take measures to promote the physical health and physical fitness activities of the Tibetan plateau masses. We will promote the implementation of the national fitness program in Tibetan areas and accelerate the poverty alleviation in Tibetan areas.

Physical Fitness in Upper Austrian Children Living in Urban and Rural Areas: A Cross-Sectional Analysis with More Than 18,000 Children.

Physical fitness is an important component in the development and health of children and adolescents. Given the equivocal results of previous research regarding the influence of the living environment on physical fitness, this study examined differences in physical fitness in urban and rural elementary school children in Upper Austria. A total of 18,168 (51% male) children between 6 and 11 years of age participated in anthropometric assessments and completed eight fitness tests that assessed cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular power, speed, agility, flexibility, and ball handling skills during a single test session in the school’s gymnasium. Urban living environment was associated with higher body weight (p = 0.01) and lower physical fitness (p < 0.01), except for flexibility, which was better in urban children (p < 0.01) and upper body strength (no difference), even after accounting for differences in body weight. Furthermore, it was shown that urban–rural differences in physical fitness are more pronounced in normal weight children and that these differences increase with age. These results highlight the potential of the living environment for the promotion of an active lifestyle that enhances physical fitness. The availability of safe spaces that facilitate unstructured and structured physical activity, as well as active transportation provide viable options for the promotion of physical fitness in children.

Effect of Daily Physical Education on Physical Fitness in Elementary School Children

Background: Increased screen time and change in the built environment have contributed to a decline in physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents over the last several decades, which also contributed to a decline in physical fitness. The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of daily school-based physical activity on the development of physical fitness in elementary school children. Methods: A total of 230 elementary school children (53.9% male) from 10 elementary schools in Tyrol, Austria completed the German motor test at the beginning of grade 1 (October 2017) and at the end of grade 2 (June 2019). Five schools were randomly assigned to an intervention that provided daily physical education (PE) while the control group continued with 3 PE classes per week as specified by the curriculum. Differences in the development of physical fitness between students in the intervention and control schools were examined via ANCOVA, adjusting for baseline fitness. Results: Children in the intervention schools displayed significantly higher improvements in the 6-minute run, 20 m sprint, sit ups and backward balance (p Discussion: The present study indicates beneficial effects of daily PE on physical fitness, particularly regarding endurance, core strength, speed and balance in Tyrolean elementary school children. Accordingly, daily PE appears to be a viable option for the promotion of physical fitness in children.