Predictive Validity of Motor Fitness and Flexibility Tests in Adults and Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Motor fitness and flexibility have been linked to several health issues. We aimed to investigate the predictive validity of motor fitness and flexibility tests in relation to health outcomes in adults and older adults. Web of Science and PubMed databases were screened for studies published from inception to November 2020. Two authors systematically searched, evaluated, and extracted data from identified original studies and systematic reviews/meta-analysis. Three levels of evidence were constructed: strong, moderate, and limited/inconclusive evidence. In total, 1182 studies were identified, and 70 studies and 6 systematic reviews/meta-analysis were summarized. Strong evidence indicated that (i) slower gait speed predicts falls and institutionalization/hospitalization in adults over 60 years old, cognitive decline/impairment over 55 years old, mobility disability over 50 years old, disability in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) over 54 years old, cardiovascular disease risk over 45 years old, and all-cause mortality over 35 years old; (ii) impaired balance predicts falls and disability in IADL/mobility disability in adults over 40 years old and all-cause mortality over 53 years old; (iii) worse timed up&go test (TUG) predicts falls and fear of falling over 40 years old. Evidence supports that slower gait speed, impaired balance, and worse TUG performance are significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes in adults.

Discriminant analysis: peculiarities of impact of sports specialization on 3rd-year female students’ functional and motor fitness

Background and Study Aim. The objective of the study was to determine the peculiarities of impact of sports specialization on 3rd-year female students’ functional and motor fitness. Materials and methods. The study involved 3rd-year female students of the Donbas State Engineering Academy in Kramatorsk, who practiced badminton (n = 43), aerobics (n = 43), and callanetics (n = 43). To solve the tasks set, the following research methods were used: analysis of scientific literature, pedagogical observation, pedagogical testing; index method and medical-biological methods. Pedagogical methods were used to study the peculiarities of students’ functional state of the body and motor abilities; for data processing discriminant analysis was used. Sectional classes were held in groups according to the schedule – twice a week. Results. The study revealed the peculiarities of impact of attending badminton, aerobics, and callanetics sports sections on the level of 3rd-year female students’ functional and motor fitness. The female students who play badminton show better results in the 100-meter dash and the Standing long jump. In the exercise “Push-ups”, better results are shown by the female students who do aerobics. Conclusions. The results of classification of students by the level of motor and functional fitness and the analysis of multidimensional averages (centroids) point to the peculiarities of dynamics of female students’ state depending on sports specialization. The results of the following tests are most important for differentiated assessment of the state of motor and functional fitness at the first level: Romberg test (r = 0.662), 100-meter dash (r = 0.491), Push-ups (r = 0.491). At the second level – Stange test (r = 0.417), Standing long jump (r = 0.412).

A Novel Monitoring System (AUT FIT) for Anthropometrics and Physical Fitness in Primary School Children in Austria: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

Monitoring of anthropometric and physical fitness parameters in primary school children is important for the prevention of future health problems. Many of the existing test batteries that are useful for monitoring require expensive test materials, specialized test administrators, and a lot of space. This limits the usefulness of such tests for widespread use. The aim of this pilot study was to design and evaluate monitoring tools for anthropometrics and physical fitness tests in primary schools, called AUT FIT. The test battery consists of height, weight, and waist circumference measurement and eight fitness tests (6 min run, V sit-and-reach, jumping sideways, standing long jump, medicine ball throw, 4 × 10 m shuttle run, ruler drop, single leg stand). Data of 821 children aged 7 to 10 years were gathered. Most AUT FIT tests showed excellent test–retest and interrater reliability and were easy to implement. Criterion-related validity was evident by a strong correlation between physical education teacher rankings and rank scores for motor fitness. Nationwide implementation in the Austrian school system could be an important component for monitoring and improving the health and fitness of primary school children.

Didactics: Peculiarities of Motor Skills Development in Boys Aged 14-15

The purpose of the study was to determine the peculiarities of motor skills development in boys aged 14-15. Materials and methods. The study participants were boys aged 14 (n=20) and 15 (n=20). The children and their parents were fully informed about all the features of the study and gave their consent to participate in the experiment. To solve the tasks set, the following research methods were used: study and analysis of scientific and methodological literature; pedagogical observation, timing of training tasks; pedagogical experiment, methods of mathematical statistics, discriminant analysis, nearest neighbor analysis. Results. The study made an assumption about a significant influence of the modes of alternating exercise repetitions and the rest interval on the effectiveness of motor skills development in boys aged 14 and 15. The standardized canonical discriminant function coefficients helped to determine age peculiarities and the peculiarities of influence of exercise modes on the effectiveness of motor skills development. They showed that the components of motor fitness are a priority in developing motor skills. The structure canonical discriminant function coefficients indicate the importance of movement control skills for mastering the entire exercise. Conclusions. Discriminant analysis revealed the peculiarities of motor skills development in boys aged 14 and 15, depending on age and exercise modes. With the first exercise mode, boys aged 15 master the first, second, and fourth series of training tasks more quickly. Boys aged 14 – the sixth series (exercise mode: 6 repetitions, rest interval of 60 s). With the second exercise mode, boys aged 14 master the first and fourth series of training tasks more quickly. Boys aged 15 – the second series (exercise mode: 12 repetitions, rest interval of 60 s). The coordinates of centroids for four groups indicate a significant difference in the influence of exercise repetition modes on the number of repetitions required for motor skills development in boys aged 14-15 during physical education classes. The results of group classification show that 87.5% of the original grouped cases were classified correctly.

Personalized multicomponent exercise programs using smartphone technology among older people: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background Optimal application of the recently updated World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for exercise in advanced age necessitates an accurate adjustment for the age-related increasing variability in biological age and fitness levels, alongside detailed recommendations across a range of motor fitness components, including balance, strength, and flexibility. We previously developed and validated a novel tool, designed to both remotely assess these fitness components, and subsequently deliver a personalized exercise program via smartphone. We describe the design of a prospective randomized control trial, comparing the effectiveness of the remotely delivered personalized multicomponent exercise program to either WHO exercise guidelines or no intervention. Methods Participants (n = 300) are community dwelling, healthy, functionally independent, cognitively intact volunteers aged ≥65 at low risk for serious fall injuries, assigned using permuted block randomization (age/gender) to intervention, active-control, or control group. The intervention is an 8-week program including individually tailored exercises for upper/lower body, flexibility, strength, and balance (dynamic, static, vestibular); active-controls receive exercising counselling according to WHO guidelines; controls receive no guidance. Primary outcome is participant fitness level, operationalized as 42 digital markers generated from 10 motor fitness measures (balance, strength, flexibility); measured at baseline, mid-trial (4-weeks), trial-end (8-weeks), and follow-up (12-weeks). Target sample size is 300 participants to provide 99% power for moderate and high effect sizes (Cohen’s f = 0.25, 0.40 respectively). Discussion The study will help understand the value of individualized motor fitness assessment used to generate personalized multicomponent exercise programs, delivered remotely among older adults. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04181983

How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Health Promotion Actions Developed Through Youth-Centered Participatory Action Research

Most actions targeting children’s health behaviors have limited involvement of children in the development, potentially contributing to disappointing effectiveness. Therefore, in the 3-year “Kids in Action” study, 9- to 12-year-old children from a lower-socioeconomic neighborhood were involved as coresearchers in the development, implementation, and evaluation of actions targeting health behaviors. The current study describes the controlled trial that evaluated the effects on children’s energy balance-related behaviors, physical fitness, and self-rated health, as well as experienced challenges and recommendations for future evaluations. Primary school children from the three highest grades of four intervention and four control schools were eligible for participation. Outcome measures assessed at baseline, and at 1- and 2-year follow-up were as follows: motor fitness by the MOPER test ( N = 656, N = 485, N = 608, respectively), physical activity and sedentary behavior by accelerometry ( N = 223, N = 149, N = 164, respectively), and consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and snacks and self-rated health by a questionnaire ( N = 322, N = 281, N = 275, respectively). Mixed-model analyses were performed adjusted for clustering within schools and relevant confounders. Significant beneficial intervention effects were found on self-reported consumption of energy/sports drinks at T2 versus T0, and on total time and ≥5-minute bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at T1 versus T0. Significant adverse effects were found on “speed and agility” and “coordination and upper-limb speed.” No other significant effects were found. The inconsistent intervention effects may be explained by the dynamic cohort and suboptimal outcome measures. We advise future studies with a similar approach to apply alternative evaluation designs, such as the delayed baseline design.

Personalized Exercise Programs Based upon Remote Assessment of Motor Fitness: A Pilot Study among Healthy People Aged 65 Years and Older

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The World Health Organization has recently updated exercise guidelines for people aged &#x3e;65 years, emphasizing the inclusion of multiple fitness components. However, without adequate recognition of individual differences, these guidelines may be applied using an approach that “one-size-fits-all.” Within the shifting paradigm toward an increasingly personalized approach to medicine and health, it is apparent that fitness components display a significant age-related increase in variability. Therefore, it is both logical and necessary to perform an accurate individualized assessment of multiple fitness components prior to optimal prescription for a personalized exercise program. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> The aim of the study was to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel tool able to remotely assess balance, flexibility, and strength using smartphone sensors (accelerometer/gyroscope), and subsequently deliver personalized exercise programs via the smartphone. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We enrolled 52 healthy volunteers (34 females) aged 65+ years, with normal cognition and low fall risk. Baseline data from remote smartphone fitness assessment were analyzed to generate 42 fitness digital markers (DMs), used to guide personalized exercise programs (×5/week for 6 weeks) delivered via smartphone. Programs included graded exercises for upper/lower body, flexibility, strength, and balance (dynamic, static, and vestibular). Participants were retested after 6 weeks. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Average age was 74.7 ± 6.4 years; adherence was 3.6 ± 1.7 exercise sessions/week. Significant improvement for pre-/posttesting was observed for 10/12 DMs of strength/flexibility for upper/lower body (sit-to-stand repetitions/duration; arm-lift duration; torso rotation; and arm extension/flexion). Balance improved significantly for 6/10 measures of tandem stance, with consistent (nonsignificant) trends observed across 20 balance DMs of tandem walk and 1 leg stance. Balance tended to improve among the 37 participants exercising ≥3/week. <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> These preliminary results provide a proof of concept, with high adherence and improved fitness confirming the benefits of remote fitness assessment for guiding home personalized exercise programs among healthy adults aged &#x3e;65 years. Further examination of the application within a randomized control study is necessary, comparing the personalized exercise program to general guidelines among healthy older adults, as well as specific populations, such as those with frailty, deconditioning, cognitive, or functional impairment. The study tool offers the opportunity to collect big data, including additional variables, with subsequent utilization of artificial intelligence to optimize the personalized exercise program.

The Effects Of Physical Activity On Obesity Among The Population Of Different Ages: A Systematic Review

The aim of this research is a systematic review of the available literature with the effects of physical activity (aerobic training, strength endurance training, etc.) on the obesity of the population of different ages. For collection of previous research on the impact of physical activity on motor fitness, the following electronic databases were searched: PubMed, SCIndeks, PEDro, J-GATE, SCIndes, DOAJ and Google Scholar. The works in the period from 2000 to 2019 were searched. The following keywords were used in the database search: exercise, physical activity, children, adult, aerobic training, resistance training, walking. This systematic review was conducted in agreement with the PRISMA guidelines. The results of the analyzed works indicated that only 20 works met the set selection criteria. In the analyzed works were 845 respondents. In the most researches, the training program lasted 12 weeks, while the shortest program lasted only 5 weeks. Combining endurance training with aerobic training has been shown as the most effective method in the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Relationship between motor fitness, fundamental movement skills, and quality of movement patterns in primary school children

Seefeldt`s classic motor development pyramid model recognizes the significance of fundamental movement skills (FMS) in physical activities and proposes a “proficiency barrier” between FMS and higher-level specific sports skills during middle childhood. However, the relationship between the layers of the conceptual model has not been empirically tested. This study investigated motor fitness (MF), FMS, and quality of movement patterns (QMP) in 7–10 years old children and evaluated the relationships among them. A total of 117 children were randomly selected to take tests of MF, the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2), and the Functional Movement Screen (FMS™). MF and FMS levels were classified according to percentile ranges. Two multiple (R×C) Chi-Square tests were applied to analyze the relationships between MF, FMS, and QMP. Post-hoc testing estimated the possibility of FMS and QMP to predict MF. The results showed that boys scored significantly higher on the object-control subtest and on the TGMD-2 compared to girls (p<0.001), while girls scored significantly higher on the FMS™ (p = 0.001). FMS score and QMP level were weakly correlated with MF (FMS: χ2 = 14.605, p = 0.006, Cramer`s V = 0.25; QMP: χ2 = 13.943, p = 0.007, Cramer`s V = 0.24). Thus, 60.5% of children with “excellent” FMS and 59.6% with “high” QMP were categorized as having a “good” MF. In contrast, only 23.1% of children with “poor” FMS and 24.3% with “low” QMP were classified as having a “good” MF. Our results confirm MF, FMS, and QMP are correlated with each other, although this relationship is weak. Further, a possible motor skill proficiency barrier exists already in children 7–10 years old. The study results support the promotion of physical activity and motor skill development in primary school children.

Influences of Differing Menarche Status on Motor Capabilities of Girls, 13 To 16 Years: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study

Puberty and the onset of menarche influences the motor performance of girls. However, the magnitude of these influences during varying maturity status, is not clear. This longitudinal study over two years aimed to investigate differences in motor fitness between early and late developing girls based on pre- and post-menarche status. A convenience sample (n = 58) of girls aged 13.51 ± 3.51, divided by means of the Status Quo method into pre (n = 13) and post-menarche (n = 45) groups, was used. Motor fitness was tested once annually by standardized protocols. Basic statistics, independent t-testing and a repeated measures ANOVA with a post hoc Bonferonni correction were used (p < 0.05 = statistical significance). Effect sizes were determined by Cohen’s d-values. Only explosive upper body strength differed significantly between groups during baseline, favoring post-menarche girls. Initially, post-menarche girls showed advantages in hand-eye coordination and speed (p > 0.05) with pre-menarche girls performing better in agility and explosive leg strength (p > 0.05). At 15.51 years, no significant, between-group differences were found. Pre-menarche girls surpassed post-menarche girls in hand-eye coordination and 0–40 m speed and post-menarche girls displayed higher explosive leg and upper body strength scores (p > 0.05). Our data show that the potential to excel in sport based on motor capabilities can only be accurately estimated 1–2 years after reaching menarche.