Functional training versus dynamic play to improve motor skills, fitness, and balance in 7–10-year-old children
Official title: Comparison of Functional Training and Dynamic Play Exercise on Gross Motor Skills, Physical Fitness, and Balance in Healthy Children
Run by Riphah International University · NCT07005440 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether functional training or dynamic play better improves gross motor skills, physical fitness, and balance in healthy children aged 7–10.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 7 Years to 10 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 38 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Riphah International University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Lahore, Punjab Province) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 16, 2025 |
| Main results expected | July 7, 2025 |
| Study ends | July 7, 2025 |
| Registry record updated | June 5, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07005440 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Healthy children aged 7–10 in grades 2–5 with MMSE > 25, BMI between the 5th and 85th percentiles, able to stand and walk independently, and meeting baseline PBBS, TGMD-2, and TUDS criteria are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Children with musculoskeletal deformities (pes planus/cavus, genu valgum/varum), scoliosis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, asthma, recent surgery, visual/vestibular/balance disorders, or acute orthopedic problems are excluded and unlikely to benefit from these specific interventions.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a randomized, two-arm trial conducted over 10 months at a primary school in Lahore with 38 healthy children aged 7–10. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a structured functional training program or a dynamic play exercise program, with sessions delivered in-person at the school. Outcomes include measures of gross motor skill (TGMD-2), balance (PBBS), and functional mobility (TUDS), plus general physical fitness and BMI, collected before and after the intervention. Non-probability convenient sampling and strict inclusion/exclusion criteria are used to select children without major musculoskeletal, respiratory, or balance disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could identify practical, age-appropriate exercise approaches that improve children's motor skills, fitness, and balance and inform school physical-education programs.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies of functional training or play-based exercise in children have reported improvements in motor skills and fitness, but direct head-to-head randomized comparisons in this exact age group and setting are limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 7-10 years * Both genders * Cognition MMSE score \> 25 * Class grades 2-5 * BMI between 5th - 85th percentiles * Able to stand and walk independently * PBBS score \> 40 * TGMD-2 \> 13 * TUDS \> 10 secs Exclusion Criteria: * Pes Planus \& Pes cavus * Scoliosis * Genu valgum * Genu varum * Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis * Presence of Asthma * Acute orthopedic problem and any history of surgery past 6 months * Visual, vestibular, or balance disorders
Where it's running
-
Riphah International University
Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Zainab Javed, MS-PPT — Riphah International University
- Study coordinator: IMRAN AMJAD, PhD
- Email: imran.amjad@riphah.edu.pk
- Phone: +9233224390125
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Prevention with PMBL for recurrent RTIs in kids
This study tests whether PMBL sublingual tablets can help prevent recurrent respiratory tract infections in children aged 3–12 compared to a placebo.
-
Bifidobacterium XLTG11 to support growth, immune health, and reduce allergies in infants at higher allergy risk
This trial tests whether daily Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis XLTG11 for 180 days can reduce allergic, respiratory, and gastrointestinal symptoms and change gut microbiome and immune markers in infants under 3 with higher allergy risk.
-
Outdoor science education to improve learning and well-being in primary school children
This project will test whether giving 5th and 6th grade students outdoor science lessons instead of indoor lessons helps their learning, connection to nature, eco-anxiety, and stress.
-
Translation of a mobility assessment tool for healthy children into Urdu
This study is trying to translate a mobility assessment tool into Urdu to see if it can accurately measure how well healthy children aged 5-12 can move.
-
Comparing physical health in children with esophageal atresia and healthy peers
This study looks at how the physical health of children with esophageal atresia compares to that of healthy kids to see how the condition affects things like strength, exercise, and overall well-being.
-
Hand and Bimanual Therapy in a VR game for children with cerebral palsy
This study tests whether a VR-based hand therapy program called HABIT-VR can improve hand function in children aged 6–17 with cerebral palsy, compared to a standard VR HABIT-VR approach.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.