Background. The COVID-19 lockdown could engender disruption to lifestyle behaviors, thus impairing mental wellbeing in the general population. This study investigated whether sociodemographic variables, changes in physical activity, and sleep quality from pre- to during lockdown were predictors of change in mental wellbeing in quarantined older adults. Methods. A 12-week international online survey was launched in 14 languages on 6 April 2020. Forty-one research institutions from Europe, Western-Asia, North-Africa, and the Americas, promoted the survey. The survey was presented in a differential format with questions related to responses “pre” and “during” the lockdown period. Participants responded to the Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, and the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results. Replies from older adults (aged >55 years, n = 517), mainly from Europe (50.1%), Western-Asia (6.8%), America (30%), and North-Africa (9.3%) were analyzed. The COVID-19 lockdown led to significantly decreased mental wellbeing, sleep quality, and total physical activity energy expenditure levels (all p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that the change in total PSQI score and total physical activity energy expenditure (F_{(2, 514)} = 66.41 p < 0.001) were significant predictors of the decrease in mental wellbeing from pre- to during lockdown (p < 0.001, R²: 0.20). Conclusion. COVID-19 lockdown deleteriously affected physical activity and sleep patterns. Furthermore, change in the total PSQI score and total physical activity energy expenditure were significant predictors for the decrease in mental wellbeing.

In the current study, we examined the effect of an aerobic dance program as part of physical education (PE) classes on aspects of primary school children’s executive functions (EFs) (inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility). Participants were 41 children (21 boys and 20 girls; M age =10.30, SD = 0.50 years, M height = 134.09, SD= 3.9 cm; M weight = 35.61, SD = 7.85 kg) who were divided into an experimental group (EG) and a no-PE control group (CG). The EG followed an aerobic dance intervention as part of their PE program (45 minute sessions two days per week over eight weeks). Participants in both groups performed EF tests before and after the intervention period to evaluate their mental flexibility, inhibition, and working memory. A two-way mixed model repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant effect of the aerobic dance program on participants’ cognitive flexibility (i.e., on Trails Making Tests _B-A times and committed errors) ( p <0.001), and on Stroop measures of inhibition (corrected number of words and corrected errors) ( p <0.001 and p <0.01, respectively), with post-hoc analyses showing an improved performance by the EG in working memory (digit recall score) from pre-test to post-test and in comparsion to the CG ( p < 0.001). Thus, this 8-week aerobic dance program promoted EF development among primary school children.

While augmented feedback (AF) is widely acknowledged to affect motor learning, the effects of mode of feedback on motor learning acquisition, retention, and perceived competence has rarely been studied. The present investigation analyzes the effects of verbal, haptic, and combined (verbal and haptic) feedback when learning a novel gymnastic parallel bars task. Forty-eight physical education students and four expert gymnastics teachers participated in the study. We divided the students into three AF groups (verbal, haptic, and combined) and a no-feedback control group (CG). One gymnastics teacher led the learning sessions, while the others evaluated student performances following familiarization, acquisition, and retention learning phases. All sessions were video recoded, and the experts gave blind assessments according to an adapted gymnastic point code. We recorded task perceived difficulty (PD) and students' perceived self-competency throughout the sessions. A repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a significant effect of AF mode on acquisition and retention such that combined AF was best for learning stability and retention (19.1% improvement for combined vs. 9.9% for haptic and 6.9% for verbal). Similarly, participants in the combined AF group, relative to the verbal and haptic AF groups, also reported lower perceived difficulty and higher perceived self-competency after the retention phase. PE teachers are encouraged to combine verbal and haptic AF when teaching new motor skills.

Our aim in this study was to examine, via technical performance analysis and speed of execution, whether information processing and technical knowledge help explain learning benefits of self-controlled video feedback in children’s weightlifting performance. We randomized 24 children (aged 10 to 12 years) into self-controlled (SC) and yoked (YK) feedback groups. Learners underwent test sessions one week before (pre-test) and one day after (post-test) six weightlifting training sessions. During each test session, we recorded kinematic parameters of snatch performance using Kinovea version 0.8.15 software. After the learning sessions, the SC group improved on most kinematic parameters (e.g., the horizontal displacement of the bar between the first and the second pulls [ M_DXV = 25.42%, SD = 18.96, p = 0.003) and the maximum height reached by the bar ( M_HMV = 5.51%, SD = 7.71, p < 0.05)], while the YK group improved only on the DxV ( M_DXV = 19.08%, SD = 24.68, p < 0.05). In addition, the SC group showed a more advanced phase of cognitive processing compared to the YK group, and the SC group showed a superior improvement in their technical knowledge level ( p < 0.001) compared to the YK group ( p < 0.05). Thus, key elements to correcting motor errors in children’s weightlifting through self-controlled feedback were improvements in information processing and technical knowledge.

As laterality of the lower limbs is regarded as a relevant influence on soccer performance, we assessed whether a bilateral training program for both the preferred leg (PL) and non-preferred leg (NPL) would improve soccer players’ lateral asymmetry, agility, and accuracy. Sixty right-foot-dominant young soccer players were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EXP) that underwent bilateral training or a control group (CONT) that performed their usual training schedule without bilateral exercise. We assessed the players’ lateral asymmetries before and after training on four soccer skill tasks: a zigzag test with and without a ball, a receiving and direct volley-shooting accuracy test, and a passing accuracy test. Results showed post-test versus pre-test performance improvements for the EXP group on the index of technical skills and agility ( p < .001). A post-hoc analysis further revealed a pre-test to post-test performance improvement on shooting and passing accuracy with both legs only for the EXP group ( p < .001). These results support the role of bilateral practice in improving lateral asymmetries, agility, and accuracy.

The aim of this study was to examine the time-of-day effects on dart-throwing performance (at two distances from the dartboard) and the perception of the difficulty of the task in 9–10 year-old boys. In a randomized order, 12 healthy boys (age = 9.8 ± 0.5 years, height = 144 ± 6.2 cm, and body-mass = 32.7 ± 3.4 kg) performed two test sessions, in the morning at 07:00 h and in the evening at 17:00 h. During each test session, performance during the dart-throwing test, oral temperature, and perceived difficulty (PD) of the task were recorded. Performance at throwing darts was scored by three methods: mean distance of the dart from the bulls-eye, number of times the target was missed (number of zeros), and variability of the scores from the darts thrown. Our results revealed that performance at throwing darts was significantly better in the afternoon than the morning, with lowest mean distance of the dart from the bulls-eye around the time of maximal values of oral temperature (p < 0.001). Also, the number of zeros and variability in the scores of the darts thrown at both short and long distances decreased at 17:00 h in comparison with 07:00 h (p < 0.05), again indicating a better performance in the afternoon. The PD of the task decreased significantly with time of day, with greater values at 07:00 h in comparison with 17:00 h (p < 0.05). Moreover, the PD of the task was higher with long than short distances (p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that psychomotor performance was better in the afternoon than the morning.