Search

The highlighted reduction in the practice of movement games in the playground constitutes a significant loss of motor habits that reflect the sedentary lifestyle of children today. Numerous studies show a progressive reduction in the use of motor skills due to coordinated factors as well as conditional(2). Furthermore the time dedicated to movement games has reduced and sedentary games have increased. We believe the causes of this situation to be as follows: 1) the arrival of electronic games, which have become more intriguing and interesting for the child than movement games and less tiring; 2) the lack of secure and protected spaces in the open air as old playgrounds are being use for car parks. The children therefore are directed towards static games in the bedroom as open air spaces can be dangerous; 3) in the educational system children are not educated adequately in physical education and it is considered that games should only be used during free time(3).

The aim of this inquiry is to find out the training needs of Physical Education teachers. The objective of this inquiry is to find out: • to what extent the PE teachers feel the need for training • what are the most appealing themes for the training courses • when to carry out the training courses Methodology The inquiry has been carried out via means of a questionnaire. The teachers have expressed their choice by putting a cross on the Likert scale, where 1 means of little importance and 7 of great importance; there were also 2 open questions. Sample examined 181 teachers were interviewed, 86 Male and 95 Female, 57 teaching in secondary schools with students aged 11-14 years, 124 teaching in secondary schools with students aged 14-19. The interviewees were between 26 and 62 years. The questions were subdivided into 3 groups 1. Need for training 2. Most relevant areas for training 3. Favoured instruments for the training Results From our data we can see that: 1. 74.78% of the interviewed felt a strong need for training 2. The interest for training in sport, dance, expressivity and fitness was 75,6%; 54.9% want training in cross-sectional assessment, disability and coping with adolescent problems; 74.39% teachers prefer to have training during the school year, 72,8% want it organized by the state and 73,7% want increased salary after training and near the place of work. 3. 80.66% had attended a training course, 76.8% consulted books or magazines, and 11.51% the internet. Conclusion There is a great deal of interest for specific training; the state and the university should take care of this need. References Gatti R.,(2002) Saper Sapere. La Motivazione come obiettivo educativo. Carocci Roma Migani C.,(2004) Dal disagio scolastico alla promozione del benessere. Carocci Roma Cavalli A., (2000) Gli insegnanti nella scuola che cambia. R. Cortina Milano Cattaneo P., (2004) Guida alla professione docente. La Tecnica della Scuola. Catania

INTRODUCTION : Among the most common gross-motor abilities running, jumping and throwing have been considered some of the most important fundamental motor skills (FMS).Their development, 30 years ago,was guaranteed and performed throught a natural and active life style.Today the scholastic sport activitie and the structured extra scholastic sport activities are not enough to guarantee quantity and quality of motor development of our preadolescents. The study shows how since the late 1970s one can see a progressive motor impoverishment related to the principal gross-motor abilities(1),caused by the diminution of movement opportunities for our children(2)and by the advent of computers,cellular telephones and electronic static games. METHODS :In the year 1976 a test battery was proposed to 1000 students.The same test battery was proposed to 500 students in 2007.The data have been collected through the scholastic system by submitting tests during PE lessons after a 20 minutes warm-up.Test battery: Speed run (boys mt.80; girls mt.60), Endurance run(mt.1000), Long Jump, High jump, precision throw (Basket drought) and strength throw (one hand throwing of a little ball), twine-skip test and pole-climb test. RESULTS :After 30 years significant differences have been noticed in the weight, in the height and in the Body Mass Index. Today boys and girls are taller and heavier and we can also notice a marked increase in BMI.All data have been compared with NCHS Growth Charts(3). In all tests we noticed a loss of ability. These differencies are more evident in endurance and power abilities than in precision tasks. Regarding the gender, these difference are more evident in the girls (increase average of failure 18,59 %) than the in boys (increase average of failure 15,31 %). Differences among the participants according to their ages and birth date were analysed with Pearson’s Chi-square test and statistical significance have been confirmed by the O.R.(odds ratio) values. DISCUSSION

Participation in physical activity (PA) during childhood can help to reduce the onset of risk factors associated with ill health. Recommendations for healthy levels of PA for children have been established by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE guidelines, 2004: children should accumulate at least 60 min of moderate and vigorous PA on most if not all days of the week). Lack of information about Italian children has made it impossible to assess proportions of children meeting the recommendations. The aim of this study was to objectively measure PA behaviour in a sample of 8 to 12 yr-old children in order to investigate if they fulfilled NASPE PA guidelines. 16 healthy children (age, 9,1±1,2 yr; BMI, 19,8±4,6 kg/m2; RMR, 4406,8±1758,6 kjoule/d; VO2max, 39,9±8,2 ml/kg/min) were monitored during a whole week in winter and in summer with a Actiheart (AH) monitor (Cambridge Neurotechnology, UK). The AH is directly attached to the chest with two standard ECG electrodes and it is able to measure acceleration, heart rate (HR), HR variability and ECG magnitude for objectively measuring PA and inferring time spent in sedentary or light (SLPA, <3 METS) to moderate (MPA, 3-6 METS) and vigorous (VPA, >6 METS) intensity. Data presented provide a minimum of four days of 10-h valid recording per week (the choice of 4 d ensures that at least 1 weekend day is included). Data analysed through the Branched model showed that children significantly exceeded NASPE guidelines of 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) both in winter (MVPA 143,4±67,9 min/day, p<0,001) and in summer (178,3±78,8 min/day, p<0,0001). However, a significant seasonal difference was detected especially for time spent in MPA (MPA: winter 132,2±62,8 min/day; summer 161,6±70,1 min/day, p<0,05). On the contrary, no significant differences appeared between weekly and weekend days (MVPA: weekly days 160,3±86 min/day; weekend days 161,4±86,7 min/day, p=ns). Besides, the between intensity comp

Differences between obese and non-obese children have been already measured by indirect calorimetry for resting energy expenditure (REE). On the contrary no study investigated on the variation of activity energy expenditure (AEE) other than walking and running. The aim of the present study was to determine the REE and the AEE of 11 common physical activities in overweight or obese (G1) and non-obese (G2) children. 21 volunteer children participated in the study (G1: N=10, age, 9.5±1.6 yr; BMI, 23.6±1.7 kg/m2; VO2max, 33.6±1.6 ml/kg/min; G2: N=11, age, 9.4±1.6 yr; BMI, 16.5±1.6 kg/m2; VO2max, 45.6±1.6 ml/kg/min). Subjects were classified as overweight, obese and non-obese according to international reference values (Cole, 2000). Two sets of activities were performed in two separate days by each subject. Activities ranged from crayoning to running and rope skipping and were divided according to the actual intensity (<3 METS, 3-6 METS, >6 METS). Oxygen consumption was measured continuously with a portable metabolic system (K4b2, Cosmed, Italy). REE was higher, even if not significantly, in G1 in comparison with G2 (REE: G1 1204.7±549.8 kcal/d, G2 1046.3±303.2 kcal/d). No significant differences were detected between G1 and G2 in AEE, even if the same trend that REE was observed for moderate and vigorous activities (AEE <3 METS: G1 58.5±23.5 kcal/d, G2 63.2±22.3 kcal/d; AEE 3-6 METS: G1 180.8±65.2 kcal/d, G2 170.1±54.9; AEE >6 METS: G1 331.7±101.6 kcal/d, G2 312.9±97.3 kcal/d). These data indicate that REE and moderate and vigorous AEE are energetically more expensive for overweight and obese children than for non-obese children, even if this difference is not statistically significant. These data confirm that obese children show a trend to a higher energy expenditure, the mechanical power being equal. Devising a physical activity program in which obese children train together with non-obese children could be useful and effective in the treatment of overweight or obesit