Changes in Physical Fitness of Would-Be Police Officers Applying Independent Work

When training high quality specialists, one of the most significant elements of the educational process is the targeted development of independent work skills. The aim of the research was to determine the impact of the independent work of full-time students at Mykolas Romeris University, Kaunas Police Faculty on the changes of their physical fitness in the course of a school-year. The research involved two groups of students who were investigated in five periods during the year. The first group consisted of 124 students who attended compulsory classes two times a week and had additional independent exercises according to the special program of independent exercising. The second group consisted of 117 students who attended only compulsory classes. The research results indicated that from the first to the fifth testing period the test results of the first group students gradually improved; however, the test results of the second group students declined after the winter holidays, examination session and internship: press-ups in the lying position under support – by 7%, the number of sit-ups in two minutes – by 5%, and the result of 10 x 10 shooting running – by 7.9%. The experiment and the analysis of its results allow reasonable recommendations concerning independent tasks for students’ physical fitness, especially for the periods of holidays, examination sessions and internship