An Efficient and Enjoyable Way for Physical Fitness Development among Women at Midlife

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of Newcomb ball (also known by the name of catchball) training on the physical fitness of women at midlife. One hundred and eighteen women, aged 29 - 45 yrs, were assigned to an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG), and completed two similar sets of tests before and after seven months of training. The EG performed two Newcomb ball training sessions per week that included technical and tactical drills with and without the ball, small sided games and full games at different variations. The CG remained non-active throughout the seven months. Leg power, arm power, agility, speed, and aerobic scores were significantly higher for the EG compared to the CG at baseline (p < 0.001 for all). EG showed significant training-related improvement in arm power (5.3 ± 0.9 vs 5.6 ± 0.9 m), agility (10.68 ± 0.95 vs 10.37 ± 0.89 sec), speed (4.11 ± 0.45 vs 4.01 ± 0.33 sec), and aerobic fitness (563 ± 328 vs 680 ± 378 m) (ES = 0.45 – 0.61, p < 0.001 for all), while no significant changes, except for a significant increase in arm power (ES = 0.42, p < 0.05), were found for the CG in any of the other fitness variables. The findings indicate that amateur Newcomb ball training can be used as an efficient and enjoyable tool for fitness development among midlife women.