Effects of 8 weeks of rhythmic physical activity on gross motor movements in 4-5-year-olds: A randomized controlled trial

Objective

Rhythmic physical activity holds promise for positively influencing the gross motor development of 4-5-year-old children, yet empirical research in this domain remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of rhythmic physical activity on the gross motor development in children aged 4–5 years.

Methods

Fifty children aged 4–5 years were recruited and randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. Both groups participated in a 10-week intervention program facilitated by a professional trainer, with support from numerous dedicated volunteers from reputable sports universities. This program comprised a one-week baseline assessment followed by 8 weeks of rhythmic physical activity training conducted three times per week. Gross motor performance was assessed using the PGMQ scale before and one week after the intervention.

Results

Following the 8-week intervention, the intervention group demonstrated significant enhancements in displacement ability, with notable improvements observed in. Specifically, the scores for running, sliding lateral transfer, leaping step, two-footed back-and-forth jump, and total displacement ability showed significant increases (P < 0.05). Moreover, the total scores for running, standing long jump, sliding lateral transfer, leaping step, two-footed back-and-forth jump, and displacement ability exhibited significant differences between the intervention and control groups (P < 0.05). Regarding manipulative ability, the intervention group showed significant increases in scores for over-the-shoulder throwing, two-handed catching, and kicking (P < 0.05). Moreover, there were significant differences between groups in the scores for two-handed catching and kicking (P < 0.05). Concerning balance ability, the intervention group exhibited significant improvements in scores for single-leg stand, double-leg stand, and total balance ability (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in any of the indices within the control group (P > 0.05). The two-way repeated measures ANOVA of intervention × time revealed significant differences in scores for running, sliding lateral movement, leaping step, jumping back and forth with both feet, leading ability, kicking, manipulation ability, single-leg stand, double-leg stand, balance ability, and gross motor scores (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

This study underscores the beneficial impact of engaging in eight weeks of rhythmic physical activity on the gross motor development of 4-5-year-olds. Furthermore, the improvements in gross motor development achieved through rhythmic physical activity may surpass those obtained through general physical activity.