Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Joint mobility/muscular chain elasticity in a cohort of 9- to 11-year school children exposed to a specifically designed professionally guided training

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sport Sciences for Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Joint mobility is a fundamental part in physical activity program for children, but a scientific characterization of the methods to improve the articular mobility in healthy children is still poor. The aim of this study was to investigate whether joint mobility/muscular elasticity were related to a merely active lifestyle or could be significantly improved in the presence of a collective, easy-to-perform, but specifically designed and professionally guided program.

Methods

Specific functional and anthropometric parameters were single-blind tested on 277 children (aged 9–11 years). 148 were randomly assigned to a physical education program specifically designed to increase elasticity and supervised by professionals (treated group), while 129 (control group) continued their usual physical activity at school, with no specific program.

Results

Specific tests were performed and showed a significant improvement of joint mobility compared to non-specific physical activity in 9- to 11-year children. As a secondary end-point, this program was effective also in children of overweight/obese BMI category.

Conclusions

These results, building on those from this and other groups, should orientate decision-makers in the area of physical exercise for primary school children towards specifically designed programs based on demographic and anthropometric data.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. World Health Organization (WHO) (2010) Global recommendations on physical activity for health, Geneva

  2. Hallal PC, Andersen LB, Bull FC, Guthold R, Haskell W, Ekelund U (2012) Global physical activity levels: surveillance progress, pitfalls, and prospects. Lancet 380:247–257

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Soucie JM, Wang C, Forsyth A et al (2011) Hemophilia treatment center network. Range of motion measurements: reference values and a database for comparison studies. Haemophilia 17:500–507

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kwon JW, Lee WJ, Park SB, Kim MJ, Jang SH, Choi CK (2013) Generalized joint hypermobility in healthy female Koreans: prevalence and age-related differences. Ann Rehabil Med 37:832–838

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Greene W, Heckman JD (1994) The clinical measurement of joint motion. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rosemont

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dantas EHM, Daoud R, Trott A, Nodari RJ Jr, Conceição M (2011) Flexibility: components, proprioceptive mechanisms and methods. Biomed Hum Kinet 3:39–43

    Google Scholar 

  7. Tyrrell VJ, Richards G, Hofman P, Gillies GF, Robinson E, Cutfield WS (2001) Foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis: a valuable tool for the measurement of body composition in children. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 25:273–278

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Galli D, Volta E, Milioli MA et al (2012) Anthropometric outcomes associated with a primary school-based health promotion program in the Italian city of Parma. Sport Sci Health 7:41–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Cole TJ, Bellizzi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH (2000) Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ 320:1240–1243

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Guo SS et al (2002) 2000 CDC growth charts for the United States: Methods and development. Vital Health Stat 246:1–203

    Google Scholar 

  11. Chiodera P, Volta E, Gobbi G et al (2008) Specifically designed physical exercise programs improve children’s motor abilities. Scand J Med Sci Sports 18:179–187

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Steindler A (1955) Kinesiology of the human body. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield

    Google Scholar 

  13. Uçar M, Koca I, Eroglu M et al (2014) Evaluation of open and closed kinetic chain exercises in rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Phys Ther Sci 26:1875–1878

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Ismail MM, Gamaleldein MH, Hassa KA (2013) Closed kinetic chain exercises with or without additional hip strengthening exercises in management of patellofemoral pain syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med 49:687–698

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lee DR, Kim JS (2015) Improvement of internal and external rotation peak toque on little league baseball players with subacromial impingement syndrome by closed kinetic chain shoulder training. J Sport Rehabil (PubMed PMID 25932944)

  16. Karandikar N, Vargas OO (2011) Kinetic chains: a review of the concept and its clinical applications. PM R 3:739–745

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Carotenuto M, Gimigliano F, Fiordelisi G, Ruberto M, Esposito M (2013) Positional abnormalities during sleep in children affected by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: the putative role of kinetic muscular chains. Med Hypotheses 81:306–308

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Italian Ministry of Education and University of Parma Sport Center, V.le G.P. Usberti, 95, 43100, Parma, Italy

    Elio Volta

  2. University of Parma Sport Center, V. le G.P. Usberti, 95, 43100, Parma, Italy

    Vincenzo Canali

  3. Department of Biomedical, Biotechnological and Translational Sciences (S.Bi.Bi.T.), University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126, Parma, Italy

    Giuliana Gobbi, Silvia Martini, Cristina Albanese, Marco Vitale, Prisco Mirandola & Daniela Galli

  4. Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) Center, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126, Parma, Italy

    Giuliana Gobbi, Marco Vitale, Prisco Mirandola & Daniela Galli

  5. Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia

    Mauro Vaccarezza

Authors
  1. Elio Volta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vincenzo Canali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Giuliana Gobbi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Silvia Martini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Cristina Albanese
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Mauro Vaccarezza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Marco Vitale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Prisco Mirandola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Daniela Galli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Prisco Mirandola.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures met the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Data, reported in this manuscript, were anonymously generated. Subjects were exempt from possible physical, psychological and social injury. Therefore, in accordance with the Regulations of University of Parma and of the local Ethical Committee, no ethical permission was necessary for this study as it did not present the requirements for Ethical Committee evaluation.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from the parents of all the participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Volta, E., Canali, V., Gobbi, G. et al. Joint mobility/muscular chain elasticity in a cohort of 9- to 11-year school children exposed to a specifically designed professionally guided training. Sport Sci Health 12, 347–352 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-016-0294-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-016-0294-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation