Enhancing Physical Fitness in Primary School Children Through Inclusive Sports Activities

Abstract

(1) Background: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the application of adaptive sports programs, initially designed for children with disabilities, can have a positive effect on physical fitness and body composition in healthy primary school children; (2) Methods: The sample comprised 80 participants, equally divided by gender (50% male, 50% female), with a mean age of 11.5 (SD = 0.03). They were divided into two groups, an experimental and a control group, with an even gender distribution. The research lasted 12 weeks, with additional classes allocated for the initial and the final measurements. The Eurofit test battery assessed physical fitness; (3) Results: ANCOVA revealed significant group differences in body composition variables within the total sample and gender distribution (p < 0.001). Significant differences were observed in handgrip strength (HGR), flamingo balance test (FBL), shuttle run 10 × 5 m (SHR) (p < 0.001), and also hand tapping (HTP) (p = 0.01). Participants in the experimental group outperformed the control group, highlighting the effectiveness of the intervention program. Specifically, boys in the experimental group showed significant improvements in HGR and SHR (p < 0.001), while girls improved significantly in HGR, FBL, and SHR (p < 0.001); (4) Conclusions: The experimental program, which incorporates sports elements for disabled individuals, led to significant improvements in the physical fitness parameters of children.

Keywords: Eurofit test battery; adaptive sports; children; inclusive activities; motor abilities; physical education.

Figure 1

Comparison between experimental and control groups across body composition and physical fitness. Legend: BMI—body mass index; PBF—percentage of body fat; HGR—handgrip strength; FBL—flamingo balance test; HTP—hand tapping; SAR—sit-and-reach; SUP—sit-ups; PUP—pull-ups test, BPT—20 m endurance shuttle-run test; SHR—shuttle run 10 × 5 m, SBJ—standing broad jump; values marked with * indicate significant differences between initial and final measurements at p ≤ 0.05.