Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are the foundation of children's movement, requiring tailored training and guidance for development. As an emerging training method, functional training is optimistic in promoting the development of children's fundamental motor skills. However, current studies have not assessed the effect of functional training on fundamental motor skills. This review aims to address this gap by evaluating the effects of functional training on fundamental motor skills. A search was conducted in five databases: PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, and SPORT Discus, from January 2000 to June 2023. This search followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The results of the search identified a total of twenty-six articles. Improvements were primarily demonstrated in the three main areas of fundamental motor skills: locomotor skills (n = 17), balance skills (n = 10), and object control skills (n = 2). The results suggest that functional training programs can improve children's fundamental motor skills. Existing evidence also concludes that functional training significantly impacts locomotor and balance skills, whereas further research is required to confirm its positive effects on object control skills.

Purpose: Falls are the leading cause of accidental death among older persons, with postmenopausal women facing a greater hazard of falling due to osteoporosis. This study aimed to examine the effects of Taijiquan practice on balance control and functional fitness in at-risk females.Methods: Chinese women who self-reported a tendency to fall and had a baseline one-leg stand test time (4.1 s in the Taijiquan group) below the national average for their age group (60–64 years: 10.9 s, 65–69 years: 9.9 s) were assigned to either a control group (n = 26, mean age = 63.9 years) or a Taijiquan group (n = 24, mean age = 63.9 years). The Taijiquan group participated in a 12-week supervised intervention, while the control group maintained their daily activities. The average duration of each exercise session was 52 min. Static balance and functional fitness were assessed at the beginning and end of the intervention.Results: After 12 weeks, the Taijiquan group significantly outperformed the control group in terms of balance, flexibility, and muscular fitness (all p < 0.05). Participants in the Taijiquan group improved their one-leg stand by 61.0% (+2.5 s, Hedge’s g = 0.85), arm curl by 8.3% (+1.7 repetitions, g = 0.53), handgrip strength by 8.3% (+1.9 kg, g = 0.65), and sit-and-reach by 163.2% (+6.2 cm, g = 1.17).Conclusion: The improvement in balance, coupled with other functional fitness benefits, suggests that Taijiquan could serve as a useful exercise for older women with an elevated risk of falling.