The aim of this study was to determine the differences between healthy-weight and overweight 5–6-year-old preschool children in fine and gross motor skills and cognitive abilities. There were 91 subjects, preschool children (41 boys and 50 girls), who participated in this cross-sectional study. The body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on measures of body height and body mass, and WHO cutoff points were used for the assessment of the children’s nutrition status. Fine motor abilities were determined using two Bruininks–Oseretsky (BOT-2) subtests, and gross motor skills are determined by the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2), while cognitive abilities were tested by the School Maturity Test (TZŠ+). Based on an independent-samples t-test, a difference in two out of three variables of gross motor skills was determined: manipulative skills and total gross motor skills between healthy-weight and overweight children, while in fine motor abilities and cognitive abilities there was no difference between these two groups. Although significant differences were found only in gross motor skills between healthy and overweight preschool children but not in fine motor skills and cognitive abilities, further longitudinal studies are required to understand the mechanisms of this, including the possible role of psychological factors.

The aim of this study was to determine the difference in body composition and functional abilities between rhythmic gymnasts, swimmers and artistic swimmers. In this cross-sectional study 60 female respondents participated. The sample was divided into 3 subsamples: rhythmic gymnasts (n= 20, age 14.3±0.9 y.) with a training process of 7.1±1.6 years, swimmers (n= 20, age 15.1±0.7 y.) with a regular training process of 4.3±2.7 years and artistic swimmers (n= 20, age 15.8±1.2 y.) with a regular training process of 5.4±1.8 years. The tested variables of body composition were body mass, body mass index, percentage of body fat, percentage of muscle mass. Body composition was measured with bioimpedance Omron BF511 (Omron Healthcare Co, Kjoto, Japan). Measurement of resting heart rate (RHR) was assessed palpably in the area of carotid. Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Forced Expiratory Capacity (FVC1) were measured using electronic spirometer Microspiro HI-801 (Microspiro-801 Nihon Kohden). To determine the difference in body composition and functional abilities between groups, Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used and Bonferroni post-Hoc test to determine the precise difference in variables. Statistical significance was set at p= 0.05. The results in the area of body composition did not show a statistically significant difference between the groups. However, the difference was shown in functional abilities between rhythmic gymnasts and swimmers of both groups (p=0.00). It can be concluded that the difference occurs due to the nature of sports, where the training of swimmers continuously requires an anaerobic regime of work.

The organization of sports and recreational exercise at school aims to encourage the general and proper development of the body, gain the widest possible motor experience, create useful habits that will remain throughout life and serve the function of developing and preserving health, as well as satisfying children's needs for movement and play. The research in this paper was conducted with the aim of showing the effects of recreational basketball practice within an additional section at school on eighth grade students, compared to students who were not included in it. For the purposes of the paper, three motor tests (explosive power) were used: long jump from a standing position, high jump (Sargent test), and medicine ball throw from a standing position. The results of the research showed that the trend of motor skills development with regard to trained (recreational) and untrained students, occurs in accordance with the laws of motor skills development. The long jump test shows that there is also a statistically significant difference in the results (at the 0.95 level) between the two groups of respondents, so it can be concluded that the activity in the basketball section has an impact on the achievement in this test. Regarding the results of the high jump test, which is 9.478, with a probability of error, rejecting the null hypothesis, if it is correct, which is 0.004. the results obtained indicate that the activity in the section had an impact. When it comes to the medicine ball throw test, the F statistic value of 24.61 is observed, which points to the same conclusion. The obtained data clearly show us that the additional activity of the basketball section members is undoubtedly reflected positive in the results of the abilities measured by the high jump, long jump and medicine ball throw tests.

Physical activity and health are intricately connected, yet paradoxically, the modern way of life is increasingly reducing the physical activity of the average person. This trend, driven by technological advancements and modern civilization, leads to numerous health problems, such as obesity, neuroses, depression, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as diseases of the musculoskeletal system and digestive organs. Insufficient physical activity, poor nutrition, and the imbalance between calorie intake and expenditure are the main causes of these diseases. This research focuses on women aged 30 to 35 and aims to examine the differences in morphological characteristics and functional abilities between recreational and inactive women. The research methods involve 22 recreational and 22 inactive women, with the assessment of morphological characteristics conducted through 12 anthropometric measures and the evaluation of functional abilities with three variables. The results show that recreational women have better anthropometric parameters, less body fat, more muscle mass, lower heart rate values, and higher oxygen intake. These findings indicate that recreational physical activity is associated with better physical fitness, contributing to the prevention of various diseases and improvement of overall health.