The effect of integrative neuromuscular exercises on motor competence and proprioception in children aged 8-10 years

This research aims to reveal the outcomes of a comprehensive, low-cost, and well-prepared integrative neuromuscular training (INT) on children's gross motor skills and proprioceptive sensory levels, aside from the physical education classes included in the current school curriculum. In the study, a true experimental design with a pre-test and post-test control group model was applied. Over 8 weeks, the experimental group (n=15) participated in the INT training, while the control group (n=15) did not follow any program. Before the implementation and after 8 weeks, the Bruininks Oseretsky Motor Proficiency Test-2 Short Form (BOT-2 SF) was applied to measure the participants' gross motor proficiency. Additionally, proprioception tests using the joint position sense technique and balance tests using the TOGU Challenge Disk device were conducted before and after the implementation. The findings obtained from the participants after the implementation were analyzed using the SPSS 25 package program. The results showed that, when comparing the BOT-2 pre-test and post-test values within the groups, the experimental group had higher post-test values in the Balance 2, Speed-Agility 1, Speed Agility 2, Balance 2, Strength 1, Strength 2, and BOT-2 Total variables compared to the pre- test values. For the control group, no significant differences were found in other variables, except for the BOT-2 total pre-test and post-test values. In the evaluation of proprioceptive sensory losses between the experimental and control groups, no statistically significant differences were found between the pre-test and post-test proprioception losses within the groups. Additionally, when examining the pre-test and post-test TOGU balance value differences in the experimental group, all TOGU balance values were found to differ statistically significantly. As a result, it was observed that the 8-week INT program we applied to school-age children aged 8-9 had a positive impact on balance, speed agility, strength, and general motor skill parameters. These data demonstrate the potential value of incorporating a time-efficient, low-cost, and adequate INT program into primary school physical education.