TITLE:
Effect of Daily Physical Education on Physical Fitness in Elementary School Children
AUTHORS:
Klaus Greier, Clemens Drenowatz, Gerhard Ruedl, Martin Kopp, Martin Burtscher, Carla Greier
KEYWORDS:
Motor Development, School Children, Motor Skills, Health, Physical Educa-tion
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Physical Education,
Vol.10 No.2,
May
11,
2020
ABSTRACT: 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.