Judo, an organized physical activity for children and adolescents, has gained popularity worldwide. Physical activity is vital during times of rising obesity and a sedentary lifestyle in this age group. The article aims to review the current knowledge of the health benefits of judo-specific exercises for children and youth. Six international scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, UpToDate, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar) were searched from 1 January 2007 to 30 September 2022. The search focused on health-related factors regarding healthy preschool and school-aged judo practitioners. Sixteen original studies met the inclusion criteria. School-aged children aged 7–15 years were included in the analysis. The average training time was between two and six hours a week, with the judo intervention mainly ranging from nine months to three years. Most studies registered positive changes caused by judo training. The outcomes focused on maintaining or reducing body fat, increasing bone mineralization, and improving the function of the cardiorespiratory system compared to the non-practicing control group. However, there were no differences between judo and other sports groups. The main conclusions presented health benefits from judo-specific training in school-aged children and may support the World Health Organization recommendations concerning daily physical activity.

When organising judo training for children, it is essential to ensure maximum safety, and use an appropriate training methodology adapted to the age of the youngest judo athletes. This paper aims to review the current literature containing judo training principles and safety-related considerations for preschool (4–6 years) and school-age (7–12 years) children as an organised physical activity. Data were collected until October 2021 from eight international scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, UpToDate, Web of Science, Cochrane, EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar). In the overviews, we found various times and frequencies of judo training for children. In preschool, the training time was 30–60 min with a frequency of 2–3 times per week, whereas in the school-age group, the training time was extended from 45 to 90 min 3–4 times per week. The most common injuries included upper arm injuries, followed by those of the lower limbs. In the future, it would be an advantage to systematise the methodology of judo training as an organised form of physical activity that can complement the daily dose of exercises recommended by the World Health Organization for maintaining children’s general health.

Background: Physical activity, including its organized form, is of key importance in the motor development of children and adolescents. Among the increasingly popular physical activities in this age group are martial arts, particularly judo. In addition to its educational and social values, this discipline, in its assumptions, gives practitioners the opportunity for motor development. This study aims to assess the development of motor competence in children and adolescents up to 15 years of age practicing judo. Methods: The study was conducted using seven databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, OVID, CINHAL Ultimate and SPOLIT) across 15 years (from January 2009 to May 2024). The PRISMA methodology was used to include studies, and the CASP protocol was applied to assess the quality of these studies. Inclusion criteria were developed based on PICOS. Finally, 22 studies that met the established criteria were included. Results: Most of the studies (21) were observational, and only one was a randomized controlled trial. The review indicated that regular judo training significantly improved muscle strength, endurance, speed, coordination, flexibility, balance and body posture compared to control groups. In contrast to some other sports, judo demonstrated comparable benefits in the development of motor abilities. Conclusions: Judo is a sport discipline that significantly affects the motor development of children and adolescents. Furthermore, regular participation in training helps to achieve the daily dose of moderate-to-vigorous activity recommended by the World Health Organization in this age group.

Introduction: Emergency medical services personnel is an occupational group exposed to the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders in relation to the work performed, including back pain syndrome (BPS). The most frequent causes of BPS are unfavourable environmental factors, repeated patient...

Introduction: Physical activity is essential for seniors as it might improve quality of life and influence the physical and mental states. One of the serious physical disturbances in older adults concerns balance disorders and falls. Pilates is a method of exercises influencing the control of...

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) has now become a serious medical problem, but it is also an economic one, often leading to the physical disability of patients. Exercise therapy in an aquatic environment, including the Ai Chi method, is an increasingly popular preventive intervention in LBP. So far, however, only a few studies have evaluated the clinical usefulness of Ai Chi for the elderly with this problem. Aim: This study is a preliminary analysis of the effectiveness of the Ai Chi method for the treatment of chronic LBP in people over 60 years of age. Material and Methods: The research material consisted of 20 women aged 66.95 ± 3.76 years, diagnosed with chronic LBP, treated using the Ai Chi method. In an aquatic environment, the patients performed a series of slow and broad movements of the arms, legs and trunk combined with deep breathing (ten sessions for two weeks). The following research methods were used: the Fullerton Fitness Test, the grip strength test using a dynamometer, and pain intensity assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: The application of the Ai Chi method contributed to an improvement in physical fitness and a reduction in pain sensation in the exercising women. There were no significant changes in the measurements of the strength of the upper limbs. Conclusions: Ai Chi may be an effective method for reducing pain and improving lower body strength, flexibility, dynamic balance and endurance in older patients with chronic LBP.