Effect of School Aerobic Exercise Intervention on Children's Health-Related Physical Fitness: A Case Study

To investigate the effect school aerobic exercise intervention on children's health-related physical fitness, 141 Portuguese junior school students were randomly selected and divided into the control groups and the experimental groups. The control groups (31 boys vs. 39 girls) participated in their normal, twice-weekly physical education classes; the experimental groups (31 boys vs. 40 girls) participated in a one-school-year physical education intervention that added health-enhancing physical activity (aerobic exercises), nutrition and diet information, and some cognitive-behaviour strategies to the normal physical education program. The FITNESSGRAM was used to observe students' health-related physical fitness in different groups. After one-school-year intervention, we found that the girls in the experimental groups significantly (P<0.05) improved their aerobic capacity (tested by 1 mile run), abdominal strength & endurance (tested by Cadence Curl-up) and upper body strength & endurance (Cadence Push-up). Our intervention indicated that aerobic exercise can and should be adopted as a regular component of school physical education programs (especially for girls). Active school physical education, active leisure, and school environments that encourage good health and active lifestyle can contribute to the development of life-long healthy lifestyle in children.