Effects of a short-term coordination exercise program during school recess: agility of seven- to eight-year-old elementary school children

Percept Mot Skills. 2013 Apr;116(2):598-610. doi: 10.2466/25.10.PMS.116.2.598-610.

Abstract

This study tested the effect of a short-term coordination program focused on improving the agility of school children ages 7 to 8 years. Healthy Japanese children were placed in an experimental group of 26 children (10 girls, 16 boys) and a control group of 20 children (9 girls, 11 boys). The experimental group participated in 10 coordination program sessions during recesses; each session was performed 1 to 3 times per week, for 26 days. No differences were observed between the groups in repeated side-step scores prior to the program, although an interaction was observed after the completion of the treatment. The short-term coordination program was effective in increasing the agility of elementary school children aged 7 to 8 years.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Athletic Performance / physiology*
  • Child
  • Exercise Test / methods*
  • Exercise Therapy / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Male
  • Schools / organization & administration
  • Treatment Outcome