Background/Objectives: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of “exercise snacks,” brief, intermittent bouts of physical activity designed to interrupt prolonged sedentary behavior. The review synthesized findings across metabolic, cardiovascular, cognitive, and functional health domains to identify consistent patterns of benefit and determine their practical applicability across populations. Methods: A total of 26 studies met inclusion criteria, encompassing diverse populations such as healthy adults, older adults, and individuals with obesity, type 2 diabetes, or PCOS. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, comprehensive searches were conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases for studies published between 2012 and 2025. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, crossover trials, and feasibility studies assessing health outcomes following exercise snack interventions in adults. Data were extracted using standardized protocols, and methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Narrative synthesis was prioritized due to intervention heterogeneity. Results: Exercise snacks consistently improved postprandial glucose, insulin, and triglyceride responses, reduced blood pressure, preserved endothelial and cerebral blood flow, and enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness. Older adults demonstrated significant gains in lower-limb strength and mobility. Emerging evidence also indicated improvements in mood, fatigue, and cognitive performance. Feasibility trials confirmed high acceptability and adherence across settings and age groups. Conclusions: Exercise snacking represents a time-efficient, feasible, and evidence-based strategy to mitigate the health risks of sedentary behavior. By incorporating brief, frequent activity bouts into daily routines, individuals can achieve meaningful benefits in metabolic regulation, cardiovascular health, physical function, and cognitive well-being. Future research should refine optimal protocols and explore long-term sustainability across varied populations.

Background: Falls are a leading cause of injury, disability, and loss of independence among community-dwelling older adults. Although exercise-based interventions are widely recommended for fall prevention, the comparative effectiveness of different exercise modalities remains insufficiently synthesized. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Randomized and controlled trials were identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL, including studies involving adults aged ≥60 years who participated in balance-based, strength-based, multimodal, Tai Ji Quan, Otago Exercise Program, or perturbation-based reactive balance training interventions. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (ROB-2) tool. Due to substantial clinical and methodological heterogeneity across interventions and outcome measures, a narrative synthesis was undertaken. Results: Twenty-seven trials met the inclusion criteria. Exercise interventions consistently reduced fall incidence across studies. Tai Ji Quan interventions were associated with approximately 31–58% reductions in falls, the Otago Exercise Program with 23–40% reductions, and multimodal strength–balance training with 20–45% reductions. Perturbation-based reactive balance training demonstrated particularly strong effects on laboratory-induced falls, with reductions ranging from 50–75%. Functional outcomes also improved across intervention types, including faster Timed Up and Go performance, increased gait speed, improvements of approximately 1.2–2.5 points in Short Physical Performance Battery scores, 15–35% gains in lower-limb strength, and enhanced reactive balance responses. Longer-duration interventions (12–24 months) generally demonstrated sustained reductions in fall risk. Conclusions: Evidence from randomized and controlled trials indicates that structured exercise interventions, particularly Tai Ji Quan, the Otago Exercise Program, multimodal strength–balance training, and perturbation-based reactive balance training, are effective in reducing falls and improving balance, mobility, and strength in community-dwelling older adults. These findings support the use of targeted, evidence-based exercise programs as central components of fall-prevention strategies in older populations.

Objectives. The study aimed to compare the outcomes of an eight-week Small-Sided Game-based High-Intensity Interval Training (SSG-HIIT) and Traditional High-Intensity Interval Training (THIIT) on parameters of physical fitness in youth female soccer players. Specifically, it assessed changes in anaerobic power, explosive strength, sprint speed, agility, and flexibility. Materials and Methods. Twenty-seven female soccer players aged 14 to 17 years playing at a competitive level (>2 years) were randomly assigned to three conditions: SSG-HIIT (n=9), THIIT (n=9) and Active Control Group (ACG, n=9). The intervention took a period of eight weeks, with three sessions per week on the experimental groups. SSG-HIIT sessions included 3v3 to 5v5 soccer games with progressive intensity, while THIIT involved structured sprint intervals. Pre- and post-intervention assessments comprised the Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST), standing broad jump, 50-m sprint, Illinois agility test, and sit-and-reach flexibility test. Results. There was a huge improvement in all variables in both SSG-HIIT and THIIT groups (p < 0.05), whereas ACG showed negligible changes. SSG-HIIT led to superior gains in explosive power (8.69%), flexibility (11.3%), anaerobic power (RAST: -8.58%), sprint speed (-3.97%), and agility (-4.37%) compared to THIIT. Post hoc analysis confirmed significantly greater improvements in explosive power and flexibility in the SSG-HIIT group (p < 0.05), though sprint and agility gains were statistically similar between the two interventions. Conclusions. According to the findings, SSG-HIIT proved more effective than THIIT in enhancing multiple physical fitness parameters, especially explosive power and flexibility. Incorporating game-based training within high-intensity protocols offers a practical and sport-specific approach to conditioning youth female soccer players.

Background. Given the sport’s complex aerobic-anaerobic demands, optimizing training methodologies is crucial for improving players’ repeated sprint ability, sustaining effort throughout matches, and enhancing overall performance. While hockey requires significant anaerobic power for explosive movements and sprints, the intermittent nature of the game also places considerable demands on aerobic systems for recovery between high-intensity efforts. Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of Small-Sided Games (SSG) and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in enhancing anaerobic endurance among adolescent field hockey players. Materials and methods. A total of 36 adolescent male hockey players (aged 15–17 years) participated in this study and were randomly assigned to three groups: SSG (n=12), HIIT (n=12), and an Active Control Group (ACG) (n=12). The intervention lasted for six weeks, with each training group engaging in their respective training modalities three times per week. Anaerobic endurance was evaluated through the Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) both prior to and following the intervention. A Two-Way Mixed ANOVA was conducted to analyze the interaction between time (pre-test vs. post-test) and group assignment. Results. Both the SSG and HIIT groups demonstrated significant improvements in anaerobic endurance compared to the ACG. The SSG group exhibited a greater reduction in RAST values (5.03%) than the HIIT group (3.71%). Statistical analysis revealed a significant main effect of time and group (F = 14.80, p < 0.001, η²p = 0.47), indicating a meaningful impact of both interventions. Post hoc comparisons showed that the SSG group outperformed the HIIT group, though both significantly improved anaerobic endurance compared to the control. Conclusions. This study confirms the efficacy of both SSG and HIIT in enhancing anaerobic endurance in adolescent hockey players, with SSG demonstrating slightly superior benefits. The findings suggest that integrating sport-specific drills, as seen in SSG, may yield greater physiological and tactical improvements than traditional HIIT protocols. Further research is needed to explore long-term adaptations, injury risk, and the potential benefits of combining both training methods for optimal performance enhancement.

Background/Objectives: Exercise-induced fatigue is a fundamental component of running performance and training, yet it is also implicated in altered movement mechanics and increased injury risk. While numerous studies have examined fatigue-related biomechanical changes during running, findings remain fragmented across biomechanical domains and fatigue modalities. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize contemporary evidence on the effects of fatigue on lower-limb biomechanics during running and to interpret the potential injury relevance of these adaptations. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for original empirical studies published between January 2010 and December 2025. Eligible studies involved human participants performing running or running-related tasks, applied an explicit fatigue protocol, and reported quantitative lower-limb biomechanical outcomes. Study selection followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Data extraction included participant characteristics, fatigue protocols, biomechanical measures, instrumentation, and key findings. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB-2) tool. Due to substantial methodological heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively. Results: Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Across studies, fatigue consistently altered spatiotemporal parameters, joint kinematic and kinetic variables, spring-mass behavior, impact loading, coordination variability, neuromuscular output, and inter-limb symmetry. Common adaptations included increased ground contact time, reduced ankle joint power and stiffness, increased joint range of motion, elevated impact loading, and greater movement variability. These changes reflected reduced mechanical efficiency and a redistribution of mechanical load from distal to proximal joints, particularly toward the knee and hip. Similar fatigue-related biomechanical patterns were observed in both laboratory-based and real-world endurance running conditions. Conclusions: Exercise-induced fatigue produces systematic and injury-relevant alterations in lower-limb biomechanics during running. These adaptations may preserve short-term performance but create mechanical conditions associated with increased susceptibility to overuse and non-contact injuries. Integrating fatigue-aware biomechanical assessment, neuromuscular conditioning, and individualized load management strategies may help mitigate adverse fatigue-related adaptations.

Objectives. This study aimed to examine the effects of a 12-week structured yoga intervention on flexibility, balance, and joint angles (JA) among university athletes. It was hypothesized that participants undergoing yoga training would show greater improvements across these parameters compared to those following regular sport-specific training alone. Materials and methods. A quasi-experimental pre–post design was employed, involving 28 male collegiate athletes divided equally into two groups: the Yoga Group (YG, n = 14; handball players) and the Non-Yoga Group (NYG, n = 14; basketball players). The YG underwent bi-weekly 60-minute yoga sessions over 12 weeks in addition to regular training, while the NYG followed only their conventional training. Outcome measures included the Sit-and-Reach (SR) test, Shoulder Flexibility (SF) test, Stork Stand (SS) test for balance, and joint angle (JA) analysis using Dartfish software during three postures: Right Forward Lunge (RFL), Downward Dog (DD), and Chair pose. Normality of the data was confirmed using Shapiro–Wilk tests (p > 0.05). Paired t-tests and Welch’s t-tests were used for within- and between-group comparisons respectively, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results. The YG showed statistically significant improvements in flexibility and balance: SR increased by +2.1 inches (p = 0.009), SF improved by +1.0 inch (p = 0.025), and SS time increased by +5.1 seconds (p = 0.018). No substantial changes were found in the NYG (p > 0.05). Joint angle improvements in the YG included left ankle dorsiflexion during RFL (−7.3°, p = 0.032), right hip extension during DD (+11.4°, p = 0.008), and right knee flexion during Chair pose (−13.2°, p = 0.011). The NYG exhibited either negligible or regressive joint angle adaptations. Conclusions. The findings demonstrate that structured yoga training significantly enhances flexibility, balance, and biomechanical efficiency in collegiate athletes. Integrating yoga into regular athletic conditioning may serve as a valuable adjunct for performance optimization and injury prevention.