Fundamental movement skills in preschoolers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: a serial cross-sectional study.

Background: Physical inactivity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have hindered the development of fundamental movement skills in preschoolers. This serial cross-sectional study compared fundamental movement skills by age group before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2020), among Japanese preschoolers aged 3-5 years.

Methods: Of the 22 preschools within Unnan City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan, 21 (95.

Movement Coordination during Forward and Backward Rope Jumping: A Relative Phase Study.

Rope jumping is a popular training method in athletic programs, fitness, and physical education. Forward and backward rope jumping has been used for evaluating athlete's performance. Both of these two jumps require coordination in the upper and lower limbs.

The Motor Engram of Functional Connectivity Generated by Acute Whole-Body Dynamic Balance Training.

Purpose: Whole-body dynamic balance is necessary for both athletic activities and activities of daily living. This study aimed to investigate the effect of acute dynamic balance training on neural networks.

Methods: We evaluated resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC), white matter fiber density, fiber-bundle cross-section, and gray matter volume in 28 healthy young adults (14 women) before and after 30 min of slackline training using a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design.

Effects of High Intensity Interval Training on Executive Function in Children Aged 8-12 Years.

This study investigated the effects of a high intensity interval training (HIIT) program on both physical fitness and executive functions in children. Fifty-six children aged 8-12 years participated in this study, and were divided into a HIIT group and a control group. The HIIT group performed three sessions of the 8- to 10-min HIIT program per week for 4 weeks.

Prevalence and Correlates of Physical Activity Among Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study of a Rural City in Japan.

Background: Although moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has multiple health benefits, current participation in recommended MVPA level and its determinants among Japanese children and adolescents remain unclear. Therefore, this cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of meeting recommended MVPA level and its correlates among Japanese children and adolescents.

Methods: Using the Japanese version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey questionnaire, we confirmed the prevalence of meeting recommended MVPA level in all primary schools (PS) and junior high schools (JHS) in Unnan City, Japan.