Functional training versus dynamic play to improve motor skills, fitness, and balance in 7–10-year-old children
Comparison of Functional Training and Dynamic Play Exercise on Gross Motor Skills, Physical Fitness, and Balance in Healthy Children
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
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 38 (estimated) |
| Ages | 7 Years to 10 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Riphah International University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Lahore, Punjab Province) |
| Trial ID | NCT07005440 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
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.
Who should consider this trial
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.
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.
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 performed: 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.
Eligibility criteria
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 this trial is running
Lahore, Punjab Province
- 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
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.