Improvement of gross motor and cognitive abilities by an exercise training program: three case reports

Figures & data

Table 1 Model of exercise training program

Phase	Activities		Minutes
1. Social	Presentation of the activities		~5
2. Warm-up	Children performed warm-up exercises (running, speed walking, joint mobility) in order to increase their total body temperature and to prepare the muscles and ligaments of joints for physical activity		~5
3. Central	Nursery rhyme game		~40
	Children sang a nursery rhyme and exercised their hand –eye coordination	5′
	Animal imitation games
	Children imitated movements of several animals (ant, dog, cat, kangaroo, hare) and performed several training activities (eg, throwing a ball) in order to improve their basic motor abilities such as running, jumping, throwing, and rolling	30′
	Nursery rhyme game
	Children sang a nursery rhyme and exercised their hand–eye coordination	5′
4. Cool-down	Children performed breathing exercises in order to allow body transition from an excited state to a resting one		~5
5. Feedback	Discussion on the activities and farewell		~5
	Total		~60

Figure 1 Changes on Quotient of Gross-Motor (QSGM) ability for all children.

Abbreviations: T0, preliminary evaluation; T1, baseline; T2, post-test; M, male; F, female.

Table 2 Values for body weight, height, and BMI

Child	T0			T1			T2
	Height (m)	Weight (kg)	BMI	Height (m)	Weight (kg)	BMI	Height (m)	Weight (kg)	BMI
M1	1.33	41	23.2	1.33	42	23.8	1.34	41	22.8
M2	1.45	55	26.1	1.45	56	26.6	1.46	53	24.8
F1	1.40	36	18.3	1.40	37	18.8	1.41	36	18.1

Abbreviations: T0, preliminary evaluation; T1, baseline; T2, post-test; BMI, body mass index; M, male; F, female.

Table 3 Scores on cognitive tests

Child	Verbal working memory			Visuospatial working memory			Missing stimuli			Reaction time
	T0	T1	T2	T0	T1	T2	T0	T1	T2	T0	T1	T2
M1	2	2	4	4	4	5	11	11	6	1.14	1.14	0.73
M2	0	0	1	0	0	2	12	12	10	1.15	1.15	0.44
F1	0	0	0	0	0	1	29	29	25	1.85	1.85	1.50

Notes: Verbal working memory indicates number of words correctly repeated; visuospatial working memory refers to the number of path correctly repeated; missing stimuli, indicates number of missing items; reaction time is given as seconds between occurrence of the stimulus and the child’s response.

Abbreviations: T0, preliminary evaluation; T1, baseline; T2, post-test; M, male; F, female.