Aerobics enhances cardiovascular fitness and agility in preschoolers.
Investigated effects of aerobic exercise on a sample of 24 preschoolers. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercises were provided daily for a period of 8 weeks for a group of 12 children while the remaining 12 children engaged in freeplay on the school playground. The children were given pretests and posttests on the following measures: a submaximal exercise test on a pediatric bicycle (baseline and three workloads), an agility test, a health knowledge test, a self-esteem scale, and an observational measure of their gross-motor activity. Despite comparability on pretests, significant group X repeated measures effects suggested that the aerobic exercise group showed decreases in heart rate at all three workloads as well as increases in agility and self-esteem following the exercise program. These findings suggest that cardiovascular fitness, agility, and self-esteem can be facilitated in preschoolers by an aerobic exercise program.
Alpert
B
B
University of Miami Medical School, FL 33101.
Field
T
T
Goldstein
S
S
Perry
S
S
D001143:Arousal; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015444:Exercise; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D009048:Motor Skills; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012649:Self Concept