Effects of a 10-week active recess program in school setting on physical fitness, school aptitudes, creativity and cognitive flexibility in elementary school children. A randomised-controlled trial.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a 10-week active recess programme in school setting on physical fitness, school aptitudes, creativity and cognitive flexibility in children. A total of 114 children (age range = 8-12 years old, 47.3% girls) participated in this study. The students were randomly assigned to two groups, experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). The EG performed a programme of physical exercise at moderate to vigorous intensity with cognitive engagement for 10 weeks, three times a week. Physical fitness, school aptitudes, creativity, and cognitive flexibility were tested. Non-significant differences were found in physical fitness (both pre-test and post-test) between groups. The EG experienced significant improvements in all school aptitudes, creativity and cognitive flexibility (TMT test). In addition, the EG showed greater increase (p<0.05) than the CG in all variables of school aptitudes (p<0.01), creativity (p<0.001) and cognitive flexibility (p<0.05). Significant correlation between ∆ TMT-B and ∆ V.O2max (r=-0.289, p=0.031) was found. In conclusion, active recess based on high intensity training can be a proper tool to improve some cognitive skills, such as school aptitudes, creativity, and cognitive flexibility.

Análise das capacidades físicas de mulheres com fibromialgia segundo o nível de gravidade da enfermidade / Analysis of the physical capacity of women with fibromyalgia according to the severity level of the disease

A fibromialgia (FM) é uma síndrome crônica que se caracteriza por dor musculoesquelética generalizada, que provoca acentuada redução na capacidade física dos pacientes afetando a sua saúde e qualidade de vida. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a capacidade física dos pacientes com FM relacionada com a gravidade da enfermidade. MÉTODO: Estudo descritivo transversal sobre uma amostra de 66 mulheres com FM (idade: 51,79 ± 8,02 anos) e um grupo de controle de mulheres saudáveis (idade 50,26 ± 8,75 anos). Analisou-se a amplitude física mediante bateria de provas físicas específicas com aplicação de questionários: Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) e o Short-Form Healthy Survey (SF-36), na versão espanhola. RESULTADOS: As mulheres saudáveis apresentam os valores de amplitude física superiores aos das mulheres enfermas com (p < 0,05) exceto na prova de dinamometria manual. Exclusivamente na prova de agilidade se pôde discriminar os pacientes de FM segundo a gravidade da enfermidade (p = 0,021). A qualidade de vida nos pacientes com FM se encontra muito deteriorada em comparação (p = 0,021) com as mulheres saudáveis e os valores que normatizam a sociedade espanhola. CONCLUSÕES: A análise das capacidades físicas é um elemento de relevância clínica na avaliação complementar da fibromialgia.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, which causes significant reduction in physical capacity of patients and affects their health and quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the physical capacity of FM patients correlated with the severity of the disease. METHOD: A transversal descriptive study on a sample of 66 women with FM (age: 51.79 ± 02.08 years) and a control group of healthy women (age 50.26 ± 8.75years). Physical amplitude was assessed by a battery of specific physical evidence and application of questionnaires: the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Short-Form Healthy Survey (SF-36) in the Spanish version. RESULTS: healthy women have higher values of physical amplitude than sick women (p <0.05), except for in manual dynamometry proof. Exclusively in the agility test the patients with FM could be identified according to their disease severity (p = 0.021).Quality of life in patients with FM is very deteriorated compared (p = 0.021) to healthy women and values that regulate the Spanish society. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the physical capacities is an additional assessment on the clinical relevance of fibromyalgia.