Field-Based Physical Fitness Tests for Individuals with Mental Retardation

2015 ◽  
pp. 168-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Lavay ◽  
Jeff McCubbin ◽  
Carl Eichstaedt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Fitness Tests ◽  
Individuals With Mental Retardation

Physical fitness of people with moderate and considerable intellectual disabilities

Physiotherapy ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzena Ślężyńska ◽  
Grzegorz Mięsok ◽  
Kamila Mięsok
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Abdominal Muscle ◽  
The Body ◽  
Intellectually Disabled ◽  
Fitness Tests ◽  
Abdominal Muscle Strength

AbstractIntroduction: The aim of the physical activity of the intellectually disabled is the strengthening of health, creating movement habits, promoting active recreation, and maintaining exercise capacity. Skillfully applied physical activity allows to mitigate the effects of pathology and create the compensations to enable the intellectually disabled people to live relatively independently. Physical activity and sport also increase their chances to integrate with their families, peers, and social environment.Materials and methods: The research targeted a group of 134 people with moderate or considerable intellectual disability (65 women and 69 men), aged 20-53 years, who participated in occupational therapy workshops in Jastrzębie Zdrój, Rybnik, and Żory. Physical fitness was assessed using the “Eurofit Special” test and balance tests. Measurements of body height and mass were also taken and then used to calculate the body mass index (BMI).Results: A salient somatic trait was the greater body mass relative to height among the persons with considerable disability, clearly illustrated by the BMI. This explained their greater heaviness in performing physical exercises. An even greater difference between participants with moderate and considerable intellectual disability was visible in physical fitness. Obviously, older persons did not achieve as good results in fitness tests as the younger ones, yet the participants were more differentiated by the level of disability than age. Most symptomatic differences to the disadvantage of the considerably disabled were observed in explosive strength, speed, abdominal muscle strength, and flexibility.Conclusions: Significant differences in fitness between the compared groups make it necessary to take into account the level of intellectual disability in the course of physical education and sport, at work, and in household duties.

Physical Fitness of Trained Runners with and without Mild Mental Retardation

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia C. Frey ◽  
Jeffrey A. McCubbin ◽  
Steve Hannigan-Downs ◽  
Susan L Kasser ◽  
Steven O. Skaggs
Keyword(s):  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
Knee Flexion ◽  
Peak Torque ◽  
Percent Body Fat ◽  
Mild Mental Retardation ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Hamstring Flexibility ◽  
Trained Runners

The purpose of this study was to compare physical fitness levels of trained runners with mild mental retardation (MMR) (7 males and 2 females, age = 28.7 ± 7.4 years, weight = 67.0 ± 11.7 kg) and those without (7 males and 2 females, age = 29.1 ± 7.5, weight = 68.7 ± 8.8 kg). Paired t tests revealed no differences between runners with and without MMR on measures of V̇O2peak (56.3 ± 9.1 vs. 57.7 ± 4.1 ml · kg-1 · min-1), percent body fat (16.6 ± 8.4 vs. 16.6 ± 3.1), and lower back/hamstring flexibility (33.1 ± 10.9 vs. 28.6 ± 10.1 cm). Knee flexion (KF) and extension (KE) strength were significantly greater in runners without MMR compared to those with MMR (KF peak torque = 65.7 ±7.9 vs. 48.7 ± 15.7 ft/lb; KE peak torque = 138.5 ± 17.7 vs. 104.4 ± 29.9 ft/lb). It was concluded that trained runners with MMR can achieve high levels of physical fitness comparable to individuals without MMR.

A Comparison of the Physical Fitness of Nonretarded and Mildly Mentally Retarded Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy

1991 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Winnick ◽  
Francis X. Short
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mild Mental Retardation ◽  
Physical Fitness Test ◽  
Test Items ◽  
Older Subjects ◽  
Level Of Significance

In order to compare their physical fitness, the UNIQUE Physical Fitness Test was administered to 203 retarded and nonretarded subjects with cerebral palsy from both segregated and integrated settings throughout the United States. The test was administered to subjects between the ages of 10 and 17 by professional persons prepared as field testers. Subjects were free from multiple handicapping conditions other than mild mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Regardless of intellectual classification, older subjects significantly exceeded the performance of younger subjects on dominant grip strength. Regardless of intellectual classification, older subjects significantly exceeded the scores of younger subjects on the softball throw and flexed arm hang. No significant differences between retarded and nonretarded subjects at the .01 level of significance were found on any of the test items on the UNIQUE test. The factor structures of both retarded and nonretarded groups were identical with regard to the items that loaded on specific physical fitness factors.

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