Effects of basic movement training applied to 8-10 year old children on physical fitness parameters

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of basic movement training applied to children aged 8–10 on physical fitness parameters. The research was carried out in a quasi-experimental design using quantitative methods. The study was conducted in the 2023–2024 academic year with 32 primary school students studying at Borsa İstanbul Mustafa Kemal Paşa Primary School in Bingöl. Among the participants, 8 boys and 8 girls were assigned to the experimental group and 8 boys and 8 girls to the control group, forming two groups. The students in the experimental group participated in a basic movement training program for eight weeks, three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), while no intervention was applied to the students in the control group. In our study, in order to determine the physical fitness characteristics of the students, tests such as height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), muscular strength (handgrip, leg, and back strength), muscular endurance (30-second push-up and 30-second sit-up), anaerobic performance (vertical jump, standing long jump, anaerobic power), speed, agility, flexibility, and endurance were applied. In the research, the measurements were conducted as pre-test and post-test, and the data obtained were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 statistical software. To determine the level of significance in comparisons between groups, an independent samples t-test was applied, and to evaluate the changes within groups, a paired samples t-test was conducted. In the study, significant increases in height were observed in both male and female students in the experimental group (EG) (p<0.05). Among female students, a significant increase in body weight was detected in the EG, whereas in male students, the increase was higher in percentage compared to the control group (CG), although not statistically significant (p>0.05). No significant changes were found in BMI in either group (p>0.05). In strength parameters, significant improvements were observed in handgrip, leg, and back strength in the EG, while no such changes were found in the CG (p<0.05). Regarding anaerobic performance, statistically significant increases were found in standing long jump, vertical jump, and anaerobic power in the EG, whereas only limited and low-percentage changes were observed in the CG (p<0.05). In speed tests, both male and female students in the EG showed significant improvement, while in agility measurements, significant within-group improvement was found only among female students (p<0.05). In flexibility and endurance tests, positive improvements were observed in shuttle run and flexibility in the EG, whereas no significant changes were found in the CG (p<0.05). In conclusion, the basic movement training program provided significant improvements in strength, anaerobic performance, speed, flexibility, and endurance parameters of children aged 8–10. These findings indicate that planned and regular basic movement training is effective for enhancing physical fitness and supporting healthy physical development in children.