Effects of a physical activity programme in the school setting on physical fitness in preschool children

Aim The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 10‐week aerobic games programme on physical fitness. Methods One hundred eleven children, aged 3 to 6 years, participated in this study; 60 children were male (age: 4.28 ± 0.61 years old), and 51 were female (age 4.59 ± 0.49 years old). Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG; n = 56) and a control group (CG; n = 55). A fitness test battery previously validated for preschoolers was used. The children in the EG performed 3 weekly training sessions of physical activity in a classroom during a 10‐week period. Every EG session lasted about 30 min. Results There were no significant differences in any variable in the pretest between groups. In the posttest, the EG achieved better results in horizontal jump and sprint. In relation to posttest–pretest differences, the EG showed a greater increase in horizontal jump, sprint, and endurance. Conclusion An aerobic games programme in the school setting improved physical fitness in preschool children.