The impact of high intensity training on fitness of middle school students

Fitness of youth is on the decline in the United States. Students entering middle school see a steady decline from fifth grade through the end of high school. The decline in fitness is contributing to declining health. The problem is so widespread, it is difficult to address on an individual basis. One logical way to address the lack of physical fitness in students is through activities at school since most students attend school for 6-8 hours a day and most school districts have a physical activity requirement. Creating a physical activity that is fun, quick, effective, and uses little equipment could start at the middle school and instill values that would continue for the students’ lifetimes. This research investigated if an eight-week intervention of high intensity exercise would improve the fitness and motivation to exercise of middle school students in a southeastern county. A college student research fellow led an intervention with three sections of middle school PE classes (n=147) in a middle school in the south. Three other sections acted as a control group for the study (n=140). Twice per week, 6-8 students rotated through stations, doing a high intensity training session consisting of two 4-minute Tabata style workouts. In each four-minute activity, there was one cardiovascular activity and one muscular strength and endurance activity. Prior to and after the intervention, all students completed the state mandated Fitnessgram assessment. In addition, they completed the intrinsic motivation inventory and those exposed to the intervention completed the physical activity enjoyment questionnaire. Teachers provided feedback through interviews, the college student research fellow kept a daily journal of her experience, and the primary investigator observed the program four times during the semester. As expected, being enrolled in and participating in physical education led to strong, statistically significant improvements on all four measures in both the intervention and control groups from the beginning to the end of the intervention. For example, overall Pacer scores improved significantly, F (1, 286) = 319.93, p&lt;.001, ?p 2 = .529, from pre (M=21.61 ± 8.93) to post (29.48 ± 11.18). The group x time interaction was significant for the push up test, F (1, 285) = 29.67, p&lt; .001, ?p 2=.094 and flexibility, F (1, 285) =22.45, p &lt; .001, ?p 2=.073. In both, the intervention group improved more than the control group. In the open-ended responses of the PACES survey, they reported they enjoyed the high intensity training more than some other types of activities they have done. Interviews with physical education teachers indicated that the intervention appeared beneficial and enjoyable to the students. The college student instructor also indicated that students participated in and appeared to enjoy the intervention. The research results suggest that a two day per week, 8-week high intensity training intervention may show promise for improving fitness and feeling competent doing activity in middle school students. More research is needed to determine the best protocol to improve fitness and to improve overall enjoyment of the activity. [This abstract has been edited to remove characters that will not display in this system. Please see the PDF for the full abstract.]]]> 2020 Physical education and training $x Study and teaching (Middle school) Physical fitness for youth $x Psychological aspects Motivation (Psychology) in adolescence Exercise $x Psychological aspects English http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/Rockey_uncg_0154D_13054.pdf oai:libres.uncg.edu/33279 2020-09-24T15:31:30Z UNCG Can we play outside? Social and emotional learning and preschooler physical activity during outdoor play NC DOCKS at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Rosiek, Marcia A. <![CDATA[Preschool age (3-5 years) children are known for their spontaneity, high levels of physical activity (PA), and inquisitive nature. The preschool years are associated with rapid social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Active play is considered a form of PA for the preschooler and is also widely considered best practice for high-quality learning. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a process of learning to manage emotions, feel and show empathy for others, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. It is integral for early childhood development and provides the groundwork for future academic success. The purpose of this project was to use a mixed methods case study to identify and describe SEL and PA behavior in preschoolers (3-5 years) during outdoor play at a local early childhood education center (ECEC). Participants included 26 children, two teachers, and the director at the ECEC. PA accelerometry data, daily observations, and formal interview data were collected over four weeks. Inductive analysis and constant comparison were used to analyze the observational and interview data. The findings indicate that preschoolers are engaged in sedentary behavior (SB) 44.1%, moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) 34.4%, and light activity 21.2% of the time during outdoor play. On average, the preschoolers were active for 27.4 (+/-) minutes during an outdoor session at this ECEC. Three themes were uncovered through analysis of observational and interview data including: 1) the outdoor environment provides opportunities to practice SEL, 2) social interaction during outdoor play promotes SEL, and 3) teachers support SEL during outdoor play. The findings from this study may inform policy for outdoor play that promotes PA and SEL at the ECEC