Purpose: The growth of certain human brain structures peaks at early ages, and complex motor interventions could positively facilitate this process. This study aims to offer an updated meta-analysis regarding the effectiveness of motor development-focused exercise training on gross motor skills in preschool children.Methods: We searched English- and Chinese-language electronic databases as of March 2024. The main eligibility criteria were as follows: participants were healthy children aged 3 to 6 years old, and the experimental design was a randomized controlled trial, with the control arm participating in either free play or ordinary physical education curriculum. We conducted a Hartung-Knapp random-effects meta-analysis of the standardized mean difference for locomotor, object control, or gross motor quotient.Results: The search identified 23 eligible studies, of which approximately 75% were considered to have a low risk of bias. Compared with active control, exercise training showed a large to very large effect size. Cohen’s d values were 1.13, 1.55, and 1.53 for locomotor, object control, and gross motor quotient, respectively. From a probabilistic viewpoint, these effect sizes correspond to events that are “very likely to occur” and “almost sure to occur.” Due to variations in intervention programs, all outcome measures showed high heterogeneity.Conclusion: This updated meta-analysis offers a realistic synthesis of the current evidence, leading to the conclusion that targeted motor skill exercise training can almost certainly enhance preschool children’s gross motor skills. Practical implications are discussed regarding the refinement of the instructional framework and the dissemination of these findings in preschool settings.

Objectives: The development of the digital economy constitutes a key component of China’s endeavors to advance towards “Digital China.” The sports industry functions as a new catalyst for high-quality economic growth. This study systematically evaluated the integration between these two sectors. Methods: First, we conducted two levels of grey relational analysis to assess their integration between 2016 and 2021. Second, we conducted a VAR analysis to determine whether their integration between 2009 and 2021 represents a causal relationship. Results: At the macro level, the grey relational analysis reveals that the sports industry (grade = 0.770) ranked second among China’s eight key economic sectors in terms of digital economy integration. At the meso level, a wide variation (ranging from 0.606 to 0.789) existed in the grade of integration between the digital economy and the sub-sectors of the sports industry. According to the VAR model, the digital economy does not Granger cause (p = 0.344) the growth of the sports industry. Conclusions: This study yielded two added values to the existing literature: First, there exists a sectoral imbalance in the digitization process; second, the explosive growth of the sports industry was not primarily caused by the digital economy. Accordingly, the “sports + digital” complex is still in the first wave of technological integration. We propose three policy recommendations, namely, sectoral synergistic development, overtaking via esports IP, and new economy and new regulation. Collectively, these findings provide updated insights for the digital transformation towards “building a leading sports nation” and “Digital China.”

Tai Chi, referred to as Taijiquan in Chinese, embodies a unique cultural legacy that bridges ancient Chinese medical thought, martial strategy, and philosophical harmony. Born out of the dual currents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and martial necessity, it has evolved into a globally practiced method of exercise and mindfulness. In this opinion article, we propose that Tai Chi is not merely a relic of the past but a culturally rooted, adaptable, and inclusive fitness modality with increasing relevance for public health promotion across the lifespan. This reflection aligns with current calls to reintegrate culturally embedded physical practices into modern health policy and community-based intervention design (1,2). In light of the global burden of physical inactivity and rising chronic diseases, especially among aging populations (3), the urgency to explore movement modalities that are not only effective but also socially and culturally sustainable has never been greater. Tai Chi offers more than physical benefits; it embodies a life philosophy that promotes emotional regulation, social cohesion, and harmony with nature-elements increasingly recognized in holistic health frameworks. As more countries struggle with health disparities, there is a growing interest in accessible, low-cost interventions that provide both physical and psychosocial benefits, positioning Tai Chi as a compelling candidate for public health integration.Historically, Tai Chi emerged during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, developing from earlier Daoist breathing and movement practices, and evolving into a coherent martial art by Chen Wangting in the 17th century. Its structure reflects the integration of medical qigong, battlefield defense techniques, and philosophical doctrines into a single internal martial art. Over time, different stylesincluding Chen, Yang, Wu, Sun-emerged. Nonetheless, Tai Chi is founded on a yin-yang cosmology, not only in its flowing movements but in its therapeutic principles. Traditional Chinese Medicine, particularly the concepts of qi, meridians, and internal regulation, informed the early structure of Tai Chi as a health-preserving practice (4). Simultaneously, its martial components were derived from ancient combat systems, informed by tactical texts such as Sun Tzu's The Art of War (5). Tai Chi embodies the balance of softness and strength, yielding and force (6), not merely as physical tactics, but as a philosophy for healthful living. The yin-yang principle in Tai Chi is not a metaphor; it governs the shifting interplay of motion and stillness, expansion and contraction, attack and retreat. When practicing, the practitioner alternates between weight shifts, rotational spirals, and centering forces that mirror internal organ regulation and emotional equilibrium. This integration of intention, breath, and form forms the physical expression of Chinese cosmology. Moreover, Tai Chi's martial applications, including push hands (tuishou), joint locks, and neutralization techniques, underscore its original function as a defensive art rooted in battlefield pragmatism. These combat strategies, when examined through a modern lens, mirror core principles of biomechanics, proprioception, and reactive balance (7). This integration of martial precision and therapeutic regulation is rare among traditional exercise systems and may explain why Tai Chi has retained clinical utility in contemporary rehabilitation sciences. This dual origin enabled Tai Chi to serve both defensive and rehabilitative functions. Breathing, posture, and internal awareness coalesce in practice, promoting circulation, postural control, and internal harmony (8). The historical image of the Tai Chi practitioner was not solely that of a fighter, but also of a healer and philosopher-someone who cultivated physical strength, ethical virtue, and mind-body awareness. This ethical dimension was deeply rooted in Confucian values of benevolence and restraint, Taoist ideals of naturalism and non-action, and the moral imperative of martial virtue (9). This inseparability of martial precision and therapeutic intent allowed Tai Chi to emerge as one of the few movement systems with robust historical continuity, integrating biomechanical control with energetic regulation in a coherent framework now highly relevant for rehabilitation and preventive care.In the 20th century, Tai Chi underwent a profound transformation. As China transitioned through war, reform, and modernization, Tai Chi was adapted for public accessibility and stripped of its combat exclusivity. It entered parks, clinics, schools, and international festivals. This shift mirrors global trends where traditional practices are repurposed for wellness and disease prevention, as illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 1. The evolution of Tai Chi: From martial origins to digital public health tool. Tai Chi has been included in national fitness programs in China, and recently recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. These efforts have supported the formal transmission of simplified forms (e.g., 24-form, 42-form Tai Chi) that can be taught to older adults, children, and people with disabilities. This democratization of access has contributed to the longevity and spread of Tai Chi globally. Scientific evidence supports this transition from tradition to therapy. Physiological investigations have revealed a wide spectrum of health effects. Evidence from cardiovascular and pulmonary research shows that Tai Chi improves baroreflex sensitivity (10) and heart rate variability (11), markers of cardiovascular resilience. Studies have documented enhanced vagal tone and improved autonomic balance in older adults (12). Among patients with hypertension or coronary artery disease, regular Tai Chi practice has been associated with reduced blood pressure, improved lipid metabolism, and endothelial function (13,14). In respiratory contexts, benefits have been reported among...

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies rapidly integrate into higher education, they impose increasing demands on the teaching approaches and digital competence of physical education teachers. However, the relationship between physical education teachers’ behavioral intention to use AI and their digital competence remains underexplored. This study focuses on college physical education teachers and examines the relationship between their intention to use AI and their digital competence. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the study proposes a structural equation model incorporating behavioral intention, self-efficacy, social influence, and digital competence, with gender as a moderating variable. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 479 physical education teachers from ten universities in mainland China, and the model was tested using AMOS and SPSS. The results indicate that teachers’ behavioral intention to use AI is positively associated with their self-efficacy, perceived social influence, and digital competence, with both self-efficacy and social influence serving as significant mediators. Furthermore, self-efficacy is positively related to social influence, while gender does not exert a significant moderating effect on any of the proposed paths. This study contributes to the integrated application of SCT and UTAUT in the context of physical education in higher education and offers theoretical and practical implications for enhancing digital competence and promoting intelligent transformation among college physical education teachers.

Purpose: Early childhood is a critical period for both motor and neurodevelopment, yet less is known about whether behavioral improvements following motor-focused physical education are accompanied by concurrent functional neural indicators. This protocol describes a cluster-randomized trial evaluating the effects of a semester-long motor-focused exercise program on gross motor competence and exploratory neurodevelopmental outcomes in preschool children. Methods: This two-arm, cluster-randomized controlled trial will recruit approximately 110 children aged 4–6 years from kindergartens in Changsha, China. Classes will be randomized 1:1 to either an intervention group receiving structured motor-focused physical education or a control group receiving ordinary physical education. The intervention will be delivered three times weekly for 30–40 min over 16 weeks, emphasizing locomotor and object-control skills through progressive, game-based activities. The primary outcome will be gross motor competence measured by the Test of Gross Motor Development–Third Edition (TGMD-3). Secondary outcomes will include portable electroencephalography (EEG) measures of resting-state and task-related brain activity associated with inhibitory control and attentional regulation. Optional measures will include parent- and teacher-reported questionnaires of executive function and behavioral adjustment. Group-by-time effects will be analyzed using linear mixed-effects models under an intention-to-treat framework. Discussion: This trial will examine whether structured motor-focused physical education is associated with improvements in gross motor competence and concurrent functional neural indicators in preschool settings. Findings will contribute incremental evidence to the developmental literature linking motor and neurocognitive processes and may inform future research on scalable approaches to support early childhood development. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07307742 identifier NCT07307742.