(1) Introduction: Regular physical activity (PA) is an important part of a healthy lifestyle for children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an increase in organized ...PA at school on the physical fitness (PF) of early adolescent boys and girls. (2) Methods: A total of 294 children born in 2007 took part in the study. The sample was divided into two groups: of increased PA at school (
= 140, girls
= 66, boys
= 74) and standard PA (
= 154, girls G
= 70, boys
= 84). Increased and standard PA levels consisted of 10 and 4 h of physical education lessons (PE) per week, respectively. PE consisted of team games and fitness exercises. Three of the Eurofit tests, core strength, long jump, and running speed, were used to measure PF. Tests were conducted in May 2018 and 2019, at an average age of a participant of 11 and 12 years, respectively. Descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were applied for analyzing the results. (3) Results: After one year of observation PF of children was improved in both groups (
< 0.001). However, it was greater in the increased PA group than in the standard one. A higher percentage of very good scores and lower of poor and very poor were noted in the increased PA group than the standard one (20.36% vs. 12.90%,
= 0.003 and 18.58% vs. 24.85%,
= 0.022, respectively). Boys obtained better results than girls (
= 0.003). Children achieved the best results in the shuttle run test, and the worst in the core strength. Children with normal body mass obtained better results than those with excessive ones. (4) Conclusions: Increasing the number of PE at school beneficially affects the fitness performance of early adolescents. To improve the health status of adolescents it is advisable to increase the number of compulsory PE lessons in the school curriculum.
Introduction. The modern techniques of musical performance and occupational loading related to them require a comprehensive approach to the physical performance of players, their typical illnesses, ...physiotherapy and prophylaxis. Material and methods. 393 students from randomly selected music schools were qualified for the study. The level of physical fitness was assessed using the Eurofit test in each of the schools and the obtained test results were compared with the reference values provided by Dobosz. Summary The physical performance of female pupils of music schools was slightly higher than of male students. The physical performance at the age of 13, 14 and 18 was at a higher level than at the age of 11, 12, 15, 16 and 17 years. It was also significantly higher than the level represented by the peers in the area of flexibility, explosive and static strength, endurance of trunk muscles, agility and cardio-respiratory efficiency, but significantly higher within balance, functional endurance and the speed of upper limbs. As regards both girls and boys, the fittest pupils were among grand piano, violin and cello players, whereas accordion players turned out to be less fit and guitar players were even more unfit. 17-year-old violin players, 16-year-old guitar players and 12-year-old accordion players were reported to be the most unfit students. Among girls, the fittest pupils were observed in the group of accordion, grand piano, violin and cello players, while the most unfit individuals were 16-year-old guitar players and 17-year-old violin players. As regards boys, the fittest pupils were violin, grand piano and cello players and the most unfit ones were 12-year-old accordion players, 16-year-old guitar and cello players as well as 17-year-old violin players.
Introduction. Physical activity is the first method of treatment which prevents a great number of diseases. Material and methods. 393 students from randomly selected music schools in Poland and ...Germany were qualified for the study. The level of physical fitness was assessed by means of the Eurofit test in each of the schools. The obtained test results were confronted with reference levels. Conclusions 1. The level of the skills specific for musicians was significantly higher as compared with reference values. 2. The level of physical performance among musicians significantly differed from reference values.
Introduction. Broadly understood physical performance constitutes a basis for the techniques of playing musical instruments. All motoric skills are meaningful here as they account for the widely ...interpreted movement and intellectual efficiency. Material and methods. The study included 393 students from randomly selected music schools in Poland and Germany. The level of physical performance was assessed by means of the Eurofit test in each of the schools. Summary. Among the students of both sexes, the average values obtained in the analysed tests did not reveal many differences. Average results achieved in the agility run revealed a decreasing tendency in grades 1 – 4 and an increasing trend in grades 5 and 6. An exception were boys’ results obtained in the cardiorespiratory test in grades 3, 4 and 6, which considerably differed from the results of other students involved in the study and in the muscle endurance test (functional strength) with the average results of boys tending to increase over subsequent years. It should be also emphasized that in the upper limbs speed test the results obtained by the girls of grade 5 definitely surpassed the level of other students.
Introduction. The modern techniques of musical performance and occupational loading related to them require a comprehensive approach to the physical performance of players, their typical illnesses, ...physiotherapy and prophylaxis. Material and methods. 393 students from randomly selected music schools were qualified for the study. The level of physical fitness was assessed using the Eurofit test in each of the schools and the obtained test results were compared with the reference values provided by Dobosz. Summary The physical performance of female pupils of music schools was slightly higher than of male students. The physical performance at the age of 13, 14 and 18 was at a higher level than at the age of 11, 12, 15, 16 and 17 years. It was also significantly higher than the level represented by the peers in the area of flexibility, explosive and static strength, endurance of trunk muscles, agility and cardio-respiratory efficiency, but significantly higher within balance, functional endurance and the speed of upper limbs. As regards both girls and boys, the fittest pupils were among grand piano, violin and cello players, whereas accordion players turned out to be less fit and guitar players were even more unfit. 17-year-old violin players, 16-year-old guitar players and 12-year-old accordion players were reported to be the most unfit students. Among girls, the fittest pupils were observed in the group of accordion, grand piano, violin and cello players, while the most unfit individuals were 16-year-old guitar players and 17-year-old violin players. As regards boys, the fittest pupils were violin, grand piano and cello players and the most unfit ones were 12-year-old accordion players, 16-year-old guitar and cello players as well as 17-year-old violin players.
Introduction. Broadly understood physical performance constitutes a basis for the techniques of playing musical instruments. All motoric skills are meaningful here as they account for the widely ...interpreted movement and intellectual efficiency. Material and methods. The study included 393 students from randomly selected music schools in Poland and Germany. The level of physical performance was assessed by means of the Eurofit test in each of the schools. Summary. Among the students of both sexes, the average values obtained in the analysed tests did not reveal many differences. Average results achieved in the agility run revealed a decreasing tendency in grades 1 – 4 and an increasing trend in grades 5 and 6. An exception were boys’ results obtained in the cardiorespiratory test in grades 3, 4 and 6, which considerably differed from the results of other students involved in the study and in the muscle endurance test (functional strength) with the average results of boys tending to increase over subsequent years. It should be also emphasized that in the upper limbs speed test the results obtained by the girls of grade 5 definitely surpassed the level of other students.
Introduction. Physical activity is the first method of treatment which prevents a great number of diseases. Material and methods. 393 students from randomly selected music schools in Poland and ...Germany were qualified for the study. The level of physical fitness was assessed by means of the Eurofit test in each of the schools. The obtained test results were confronted with reference levels. Conclusions 1. The level of the skills specific for musicians was significantly higher as compared with reference values. 2. The level of physical performance among musicians significantly differed from reference values.
The ability to change direction rapidly is a key fitness quality especially in invasive sports where young players perform approximately 300 changes of direction in a game. There is currently limited ...understanding of how anthropometric characteristics and maturation status influence change of direction ability in adolescent. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation is to assess the influence of anthropometrics and maturation status on change of direction ability in young people. The study involved 706 adolescents (367 girls) aged 14-19-year-old attending the same high school in Northern Italy. Stature, body mass, seated height and leg length were measured to determine the anthropometrics and maturation status of the participants. Repeated change of direction ability (10 × 5 m shuttle run test), lower limb power and muscle strength were evaluated using field tests from the Eurofit test battery. Maturity offset was calculated separately for boys and girls, in accord with the equation proposed by Mirwald. Preliminary analysis with 10 × 5 m as a dependent variable and sex and PHV as a fixed factor, suggests a significant difference between sex (p < 0.001; d = 0.35) but not with PHV (p = 0.986; d = 0.000) and interaction PHV × sex (p = 0.836; d = 0.000). Our results suggested that repeated change of direction performance was influenced by anthropometrics, maturation and muscle qualities in adolescent boys and girls.
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