Comparison of Functional Training and Dynamic Play Exercise on Gross Motor Skills, Physical Fitness, and Balance in Healthy Children

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to compare two different types of physical activity programs—functional training and dynamic play exercises—and their effects on children's gross motor skills, physical fitness, and balance. The trial involves healthy children aged 7 to 10 years, including both boys and girls, who meet specific cognitive and physical health criteria. The study will take place over 10 months at a primary school in Lahore and will involve 38 participants divided into two groups. One group will follow a functional training program consisting of warm-up exercises, neuromuscular activation, dynamic stretching, core activation, motor skill development activities such as walking and jumping, and fitness training focusing on balance, agility, and endurance. This program lasts 12 weeks with sessions once a week for the first 8 weeks and twice a week for weeks 9 to 12. The other group will engage in dynamic play exercises including warm-up, rhythmic exercises, games, and free play, also following the same 12-week schedule with varying session frequency. Participants will be assessed at the beginning and end of the 12-week period using tools such as the Pediatric Balance Scale and the Test for Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2). Additional evaluations include physical fitness and balance tests. Data will be analyzed using SPSS software. The study monitors physical progress and motor skills development to understand how these exercise approaches impact children's physical abilities.

Functional Training and Dynamic Play Exercise on Gross Motor Skills, Physical Fitness, and Balance in Healthy Children