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Objective: The "Super Quinas" project evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention program to improve physical activity, aerobic fitness, sleep, and motor competence on children in primary school., Methods: The experimental group ( n = 19) enrolled in a 12-week intervention program (one more extra-curricular activity class of 60 min per week) compared to the CG ( n = 19), all aged 9-10 years. Physical activity (PA) and sleep were measured by accelerometry, and aerobic fitness was measured by Children's Yo-Yo test (YYIR1C) during the 1st week (PRE), the 6th week (DUR), and the 12th week (POST) of the intervention program. Motor Competence in PRE and POST intervention was also assessed by the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) instrument. Heart rate (HR, assessed using HR monitors), and enjoyment level were recorded during all intervention program classes. A linear mixed model analysis (i.e., within-subject analyses) was performed., Results: Comparing the EG and CG in DUR and POST, the EG spent ~18 min and ~ 34 min more time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day ( p  < 0.001); had ~44 min and ~ 203 min less sedentary time per day ( p  < 0.001); performed more 44 and 128 m in the Children's Yo-Yo test compared to CG ( p  < 0.001) and slept more 17 and 114 min per night ( p  < 0.001). In POST motor competence was significantly better (27%) in the EG compared to CG ( p  < 0.001). The %HRmax during the extra-curricular classes ranged between 65 and 81% (i.e., light to moderate intensities), and the enjoyment between fun and great fun., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that adding one more extra-curricular activity class of 60 min per week for 12 weeks effectively increased the levels of physical activity, aerobic fitness, sleep duration, and motor competence in children aged 9-10 years., Competing Interests: “Super Quinas” is a registered trademark of the Portuguese Football Federation. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Costa, Vale, Cordovil, Rodrigues, Cardoso, Proença, Costa, Neto, Brito, Guilherme and Seabra.)

Objective: This study aimed to systematically review and analyse intervention programs in a school context centred on the family, focused on increasing youths' physical activity., Data Source: The research was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases., Study Inclusion Criteria: Studies were included if participants were children or adolescents, focusing on school-based intervention studies with parental involvement and physical activity, sedentary behaviour or physical fitness outcomes., Data Extraction: The search was performed according to the PRISMA protocol. A total of 416 articles were identified. After being considered for eligibility and duplicates, 22 studies were identified as relevant for inclusion., Data Synthesis: Sample and intervention characteristics, objective, the role of the family, outcomes measures, main findings regarding the outcomes and risk of bias., Results: Ten studies reported improvements in physical activity, 6 in sedentary behaviour and 9 in the components of physical fitness and/or skills related to healthy behaviours and lifestyles. Most of the interventions adopted a multidisciplinary and multi-component approach., Conclusions: Most interventions employed a school's multidisciplinary/multi-component approach to promoting physical activity, nutrition, and general education for healthier lifestyle behaviours. The impact of school-based interventions involving families on youth's physical activity levels is still a relatively emerging theme. Further research is needed given the diversity of the intervention's characteristics and the disparity in the results' efficacy.

Background: As numbers of children and time spent in childcare centres increase, so does the potential influence of these centres on early childhood physical activity (PA). However, previous reports indicate little success of interventions aimed at improving PA. The Active Early Learning (AEL) program is a multi-component pragmatic intervention designed to imbed PA into the daily curriculum. Delivered by childcare centre staff, it is directed and supported by a peer coach who works across a network of centres. The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of the AEL program on children's PA., Methods: Fifteen childcare centres (8 intervention, 7 control centres; 314 children, 180 boys, 4.3y ± 0.4) participated in a 22-week stratified cluster randomised controlled trial. To be eligible to participate, centres needed to have ≥15 preschool children aged 3 to 5-years. The primary outcome was PA measured by accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X) during childcare centre hours over a 3-day period, calculated in min/h of Total PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). The effect of the intervention was evaluated using linear mixed models adjusted for age, sex, accelerometer wear time and centre clustering., Results: There was an intervention effect for Total PA (+ 4.06 min/h, 95% CI [2.66 to 5.47], p < .001) and MVPA (+ 2.33 min/h, 95% CI [1.31 to 3.34] p < .001). On average, a child taking part in the intervention attending a childcare centre from 8 am to 3 pm performed 28 min more Total PA and 16 min more MVPA per day than children receiving usual practice care., Conclusion: In contrast with the findings of previous pragmatic trials in early childcare centres, this study shows that a peer-coach facilitated program, focussed on integrating PA into the daily childcare routine, can elicit increases in preschool children's PA of practical as well as statistical significance., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials registry: ACTRN12619000638134 . Registered 30/04/2019.

Background: This study aimed at evaluating the effect of the "Walk," an 8-month physical activity (PA) program led by classroom and physical education teachers, on the motor competence (MC) and PA of 5- to 6-year-old children., Methods: A total of 143 children (mean age = 61.51 [1.85] mo) participated in the study and were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Children's MC was assessed by the Körperkoordination Test für Kinder (KTK), and PA was objectively measured by Omron HJ-720IT-E2 pedometers. Measurements were performed at baseline, midintervention, and postintervention. A 1-sample t test computed at baseline step counts revealed that children presented significantly lower PA than recommended for their age (P < .001). To examine the effect of the intervention on children's MC and PA, several repeated-measures analyses of variance were utilized on (1) KTK item scores and (2) pedometer data., Results: The results revealed that the Walk project led to practically significant changes in the experimental group compared with the control group in both MC (P < .001, η 2  > .14 for all KTK items) and PA (P < .001, η 2  = .23)., Conclusions: This study highlights the efficacy of a PA project, involving both classroom and physical education teachers, for the enhancement of children's MC and PA.

Prevention of dementia is a public health priority. Physical activity (PA) can reduce the risk of dementia, but the majority of people remain sedentary. We conducted a multicenter controlled study with older adults (60+ years). We hypothesized that an evidence-based PA intervention - GEhen, Spielen und Tanzen Als Lebenslange Tätigkeiten - kompakt [walking, playing and dancing as lifelong activities-compact] (GESTALT-kompakt) - would lead to significantly larger improvements in PA levels (step counts/Fitbit Zip™), cognitive functions (DemTect) and social activities (Social Activity Log), compared to an active control group. Data were collected at baseline and after 3 and 12 months. The intervention group received a 12-week (1/week) multimodal and multicomponent PA program, which combined PA with cognitive and social activities. The control group received either regular gymnastics or cognitive training (1/week). A mixed linear model was chosen for analysis. A total of 87 older individuals were recruited in the GESTALT-kompakt study (68 females, average age =76.0 years, SD ±9.2, range 52-95 years). Marginally significant differences were observed in the intervention group (n=57) in comparison to the control group (n=30), regarding improvements in PA (difference of mean changes =866.4 steps, p =0.055) after 3 months. However, their PA decreased to the baseline score value after 12 months (-866.0 steps, p =0.061). GESTALT-kompakt did not cause significant differences in cognitive functioning (-0.8620, p =0.074) and social activities (-0.2428, p =0.288) in comparison to the control intervention from T0 to T1. Sixteen (24.2%) study participants who finished T2 reported a negative life event during the follow-up period, which severely influenced their PA behavior. GESTALT-kompakt might be effective in increasing PA in the short term, but did not have a long-term impact on the PA levels, cognitive functions or social activities of the participants. We recommend PA programs with longer duration to change behavior in the long term., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an 8-week physical activity program (PAP) on health-related fitness (HRF) components of seventh graders in Bhutan. Its emphasis areas included assessing the program's effects on cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Materials and methods. Sixty-two students were allocated into two groups using simple random sampling: a control group (n = 31) following the standard physical education curriculum and an experimental group (n = 31) participating in the PAP utilizing the FITT (frequency, intensity, time, and type) principle. Fitness Gram assessments were used to measure HRF before implementing the intervention. Independent t-tests were used to compare results between groups, whereas paired t-tests were used to compare pre-test and post-test scores within groups. Results. All HRF components demonstrated notable improvements in the experimental group. Cardiorespiratory endurance increased from a mean of 23.23 to 30.57 (p < 0.05), muscular strength - from 7.47 to 12.37 (p < 0.05), muscular endurance - from a mean of 10.10 to 16.40 (p < 0.05), and flexibility - from 27.98 to 29.85 (p < 0.05). It was additionally observed an improvement in body composition, with a notable decline in BMI. Conversely, the control group showed a less significant decrease in flexibility and BMI, while demonstrating marked enhancements in cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. Conclusions. The study indicates that the organized PAP was more effective than the standard physical education curriculum in improving HRF components. These findings suggest that the implementation of structured PA programs using the FITT principles can lead to enhanced physical fitness and health-related outcomes among children and young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveThis study evaluated the one-year impact of a 12-week school-based physical activity (PA) intervention, which added one extra hour of structured PA per week, on children's movement behaviors, aerobic fitness, and motor competence (MC).MethodsA longitudinal comparison between an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG) was conducted at baseline (PRE), mid-intervention (DUR), post-intervention (POST), and one-year follow-up (FUP). The study was conducted in a single school without randomization. Movement behaviors (accelerometry), aerobic fitness (YYIR1C), and MC (MCA battery) were assessed. Due to school changes and parental noncompliance, the sample decreased from 38 to 23 participants (EG; n = 13; CG; n = 10), a 39% dropout rate.ResultsOne year post-intervention, the EG spent more time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA; + 41 min/day), less time in SED (−234 min/day), slept longer (+103 min/night), covered greater distances in the YYIR1C (+174 m), and achieved higher MC scores (+19% on the MCA battery test) compared to the CG. Although no significant differences in body weight were observed, the EG showed improved body mass index (BMI; −5 kg/m2) and a lower body fat percentage (−10%) when compared to the CG.ConclusionThe findings indicate that the benefits of a 3-month school-based PA intervention, which included an additional hour of physical education per week, can have sustained benefits for movement behaviors, physical fitness, and MC in children one year post-intervention. However, the small sample size and lack of randomization limit the generalizability of the results. Future research should employ larger, randomized trials to better assess the long-term impact of PA interventions on children’s health and fitness outcomes.

This study examines the impact of a resistance-band functional exercise program, compared with a recreational exercise program, on physical fitness and reaction times in persons older than 60 years. Fifty-four community-dwelling volunteers (71.76 ± 6.02 years) were assigned to a specific exercise program: Functional activity program (focused on resistance-band multi-joint activities; experimental group, EG), or recreational physical activity program (with gross motor activities of ludic content; control group, CG). Before and after the intervention, we determined cognitive capacity in terms of simple reaction time (S-RT), choice reaction time (C-RT) and fitness. In both groups physical performance improved, though this improvement was more marked in the EG for grip strength, arm strength and gross motor abilities (p < 0.05). Reaction times were better only in EG (S-RT = 10.70%, C-RT = 14.34%; p < 0.05) after the corresponding physical training intervention. The training period showed no effect on the moderate relationship between both RT and gross motor abilities in the CG, whereas the EG displayed an enhanced relationship between S-RT and grip-strength as well as the C-RT with arm strength and aerobic capacity (r ~ 0.457; p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that a functional exercise program using a resistance band improves fitness and cognitive performance in healthy older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiotherapists have paid great attention to the problems associated with overweight among children and youth. Clinicians have started programs to support the target group in their efforts to become more physically active, thus preventing such problems from arising. The aim of the study has been to investigate the experiences of the participants in these programs. A phenomenological research design was chosen. Fourteen children and youth in one of these programs volunteered as informants. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were interpreted using a multistep thematic analysis model. The participants considered the inclusion of a friend in the group as one of their requirements for participating in the program. Most of the participants enjoyed and coped with the physical activities, although a few disliked some of the ball games. The participants concluded that their endurance had improved and they had become physically stronger. Most of them were also engaged in a variety of activities outside the program. The children and youth asserted that they had benefited from participating in this physical activity program, which they experienced as enjoyable. The best long-term result is probably achieved when child, parents, school, voluntary organizations and community collaborate in order to strengthen the physical and social skills of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some degree of physical activity is always preferable to a sedentary lifestyle. For home bound elderly, with limited mobility and strength, physical activity should be focused on "functional fitness" such as performing activities of daily living, transfers, and mobility. Progressive resistance training and flexion exercises are critical for maintaining muscle mass and subsequent Independence In activities of dally living Physicians and other health (are providers must disseminate the message promoting physical activity among all of their patients, especially frail older adults. The goals of physical activity counseling am to provide concrete Information, clear and consistent recommendations, and to recognize barriers that older adults face in initiating and maintaining a program. Tailoring the message based on a patient's health and functional status is paramount, and counselling should be ongoing and Included at every visit. We examine the benefits of exercise for frail home bound elderly, potential barriers to exercise, and ways to initiate a physical activity program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Following a specific exercise program is beneficial to cancer patients because it can impact on health status, quality of life, symptoms and recurrence of cancer. Identifying barriers to exercise implementation and follow-up exercise behaviour can help maintaining regular physical activity levels. By searching for these barriers, we investigate how to improve maintenance of physical activity after a local exercise-training program in order to highlight practical solutions to improve it. Material/patients and methods This retrospective observational study includes patients who completed the local 24 sessions endurance and strength training program CAP’FORME in Mulhouse hospital, whatever their form of cancer. Their physical activity score using the Ricci and Gagnon questionnaire is measured before the program and at follow-up. The barriers and incentives to continue exercising are recorded using a telephone-based questionnaire designed using theories in existing literature. Additionally, patients can choose between a series of concrete suggestions that would in their opinion improve exercise maintenance. Results Patients had a mean 12 months follow-up after the program. The Ricci and Gagnon score compared with the initial measure highlights the maintenance or the reduction of physical activity levels. Some specific motivational factors were found including physical, psychological and educational. Barriers to continue exercising after the program included socio-economical factors. Patients underlined several practical suggestions, which would encourage them to maintain a regular physical activity after the program. Secondary analysis using 6 minutes walking test and quality of life showed an improvement before and immediately after the program. Discussion–conclusion The CAP’FORME local program seems to improve physical capacities and quality of life for cancer patients. The barriers and incentives reported in the questionnaire are consistent with existing literature. Some of the practical suggestions chosen by patients, such as therapeutic patient education and a stronger follow-up are possible leads to improve the CAP’FORME exercise-training program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]