Children’s sedentary time has increased, while daily physical activity and motor performance have decreased. We evaluated an integrated school-based exercise program by assessing changes in motor skills after one year and comparing these changes to children who did not participate. We included 303 children from five schools in this longitudinal study and assigned them either to the exercise group (EG; n = 183 with daily exercise program) or the waiting group (WG; n = 120). Motor skills were assessed at baseline and after one year. Mixed modeling was used to analyze inter-group differences of change in motor skills and to determine the effect of sex, age group, and weight status. EG improved more strongly than WG for sprint, side jumps (both p = 0.017), stand and reach (p = 0.012), and ergometry (p ≤ 0.001) when compared to WG. Girls improved more strongly in the sit-ups than boys, second graders more than fifth graders in the backwards balance and the ergometry, and non-overweight children more in the standing long jump than overweight children. The exercise program is effective in increasing motor skills and physical fitness. Girls were not disadvantaged, and overweight children profited as much as their non-overweight peers in all categories but one.

Increasing physical activity is a cornerstone in the treatment of overweight individuals and self-selected exercise intensity leads to higher adherence to physical activity. However, information on differences in energy expenditure and fat oxidation between sexes regarding common self-paced activities of daily living are rare. We divided 33 subjects into normal weight (NW, N.=21) and overweight (OW, N.=12). Energy expenditure and substrate oxidation was measured during six self-paced physical activities of daily living using a portable spirometric system. We also determined maximum aerobic capacity (VO2max) and estimated free-living physical activity with a multi-sensor device. For all six activities, total energy expenditure was not different between NW and OW subjects in both sexes. The peak fat oxidation during physical activities was reached at higher intensities for women (NW 57±15%; OW 53±8% of VO2max) compared to men (NW 41±8%; OW 42±9% of VO2max) with no differences between NW and OW subjects. The majority of OW (92%) but not NW (42%) subjects reached their highest fat oxidation during walking. The self-selected walking speed was not significantly different between NW and OW men (NW 5.25±0.48 km/h, OW 5.52±0.42 km/h) and NW and OW women (NW 5.16±0.89 km/h, OW 5.01±0.42 km/h). When physical activity aims to maximizing fat oxidation, women should exercise at higher relative intensities than men, regardless of being normal weight or overweight. Self-paced walking is a suitable activity for overweight subjects to achieve high rates of both total energy expenditure and fat oxidation.

Background: During the COVID-19 restrictions in Germany, individuals were permitted to engage in individual physical activity (PA). However, limited information exists regarding the impact of these restrictions on PA and mental health. The aims of this study were to identify changes in PA behavior and Quality of Life (QoL) during the Corona-Virus restrictions to develop strategies to mitigate negative health effects. Methods: Internet-based questionnaires on PA and QoL were distributed to outpatients with heart disease (Reha), participants in an in-clinic rehabilitation program, patients enrolled in a structured post-kidney transplant program (KTx), and healthy adults (HG). Results: Compared to pre-lockdown levels, all groups experienced a significant reduction in daily and sporting physical activity (all p < 0.05). Reha participants showed a significantly greater reduction in sporting activity compared to KTx and HG (p < 0.05). However, 88.3% (Reha), 85.5% (KTx), and 92.6% (HG) met the WHO recommendation of ≥150 min/week of moderate activity (p = 0.001). No significant differences were observed in the mental sum score of the SF-36 between groups (p = 0.263). Conclusions: The majority of individuals managed to maintain sufficient PA levels even during the lockdown. However, Reha participants appeared to experience the greatest burdens, leading to a more pronounced reduction in sports activity.