Effects of physical exercises in physical fitness of overweigh children

Abstract

Introduction: Physical excercises are effective for promoting weight loss, positive changes in body composition and improvement in physical fitness. Objective: To verify the effects of a physical exercise program in the physical fitness of overweight and/or obese children. Participants: Children from seven to ten years old from an intervention program in the city of Florianópolis (SC) were selected. Methods: The movement assessment battery from the “Programa Esporte Brasil” was used to assess the physical fitness. The BMI was calculated following the World Health Organization guidelines. Results: When assessing the physical fitness related to health, a significant improvement in the body mass index and in the abdonimal strengh/resistence was verified. As for physical fitness related to ability, a significant difference in the agility test was found. Conclusion: Positive effects were found in the proposed intervention program with regard to physical fitness related to health and motor abilities of the children that were analyzed. We suggest further studies be carried out to address strategies for fighting child obesity.