Effects of a swimming training program on physical fitness components in children aged 6–12 years

Abstract

Background and Study Aim. Swimming is a form of physical activity that engages major muscle groups and may contribute to the development of physical fitness during childhood. Regular swimming training may influence several components of physical performance, including strength, flexibility, speed, and explosive strength. However, the extent to which a structured swimming programme improves these physical performance components in children compared with usual physical education remains of practical interest. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 12 weeks of regular swimming training on physical performance parameters in girls aged 6–12 years. Materials and Methods. Thirty girls aged 6–12 years were randomly allocated to a swimming training group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). The swimming training group completed a 12-week structured programme consisting of four 90-minute sessions per week, whereas the control group participated only in regular physical education lessons. Height, body weight, and body mass index were assessed at baseline. Flexibility, vertical jump, standing long jump, handgrip strength, back strength, leg strength, and 20-m sprint performance were assessed before and after the intervention. Intervention effects were evaluated using 2 × 2 mixed-design analyses of variance, with time as the within-subject factor and group as the between-subject factor. Holm correction was applied to the seven time × group interaction tests. Results. Significant main effects of time were observed for standing long jump performance (p = .030), handgrip strength (p = .047), and leg strength (p < .001). The unadjusted time × group interactions were significant for flexibility (p = .008) and standing long jump performance (p = .030); however, neither remained statistically significant after Holm correction (p = .054 and p = .179, respectively). After adjustment for multiple comparisons, no significant time × group interaction was observed for any physical performance outcome. Conclusions. A 12-week structured swimming programme can be incorporated into regular physical activity programmes for girls aged 6–12 years as a means of supporting physical fitness development. When evaluating its effectiveness, changes in individual fitness components should be considered alongside normal growth, maturation, and other physical activity during childhood.