Effects of modern dance programs on improving health-related physical fitness in girls

Abstract

Introduction: As creative physical activity influences many aspects of child development—including physical, social, and emotional wellbeing—the effects of two experimental modern dance programs on the development of health-related physical fitness in young school-aged girls were assessed in this longitudinal study. Materials and methods: The study sample comprised 203 girls aged 7–11 years, 102 of whom (the control group) were recruited from the elementary school “Vuk Karadžić” from Bačka Palanka, while Experimental Group 1 (n = 51) and Experimental Group 2 (n = 50) respectively consisted of girls who have been involved in a modern dance program for no longer than 1 year and at least 2 years. The participants were also divided into AGE 1 (7–9 years, n = 103) and AGE 2 (9–11 years, n = 100) groups to assess the influence of age on the treatment effect. During the six-month experimental period, Experimental Group 1 met three times a week while Experimental Group 2 had five weekly training sessions. All participants were subjected to the extended ALPHA battery of tests both at baseline and at the end of the study. Results: The Experimental Group 1 and Experimental Group 2 results showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.005) between the initial and final measurements, suggesting that participation in a modern dance program had a positive impact on the transformation of morphological characteristics by increasing muscle mass and reducing subcutaneous fat. In addition, both experimental groups had a greater muscle strength, muscle endurance, and aerobic fitness at the end of the treatment. Conclusion: The study findings support the view that health-related physical fitness in young school-aged children can be improved through modern dance.