The aim of this systematic review was to examine the scientific evidence regarding physical activity and physical fitness among university students. The search and analysis of the studies were done in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. An electronic databases search (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus) yielded 11,839 studies. Subsequently, the identified studies had to be published in English between 2011 and 2021, the experimental study had to have included males and females attending a faculty, and the participants had to have been evaluated for physical activity and fitness. A total of 21 studies were included in the quantitative synthesis, with a total of 7306 participants, both male and female. After analyzing the obtained results, it could be concluded that university students show a satisfactory level of physical activity and physical fitness. However, the results vary due to different factors involved, mostly related to the cultural differences and educational systems in different countries. As this study observes mediocre results of physical activity and physical fitness among university students, it is crucial to get their attention and awareness, to at least maintain a satisfactory level of physical activity and physical fitness.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program on quality of life and physical fitness in adolescents. Methods: The study included 60 male adolescents (16.2 ± 0.6 years), randomly assigned to one of two groups: the HIIT group (n = 30) and the control group (CG, n = 30). Participants completed the KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire to evaluate quality of life and physical fitness tests, including vertical jump, repetitive strength, agility, and flexibility. The experimental program consisted of a 12-week intervention integrated into the warm-up phase of regular physical education (PE) classes. Each PE class lasted 45 min, with the HIIT regimen occupying 10 min of the warm-up phase. The HIIT sessions followed a Tabata-style structure, performed twice weekly. A two-way ANOVA with repeated measures assessed group and time interaction effects. Results: The results revealed changes in physical well-being following the HIIT intervention (p = 0.01) compared to the control group (p = 0.42). The results of the two-way ANOVA with repeated measures revealed interaction effects between group and time for the various fitness tests, countermovement jump (p = 0.04), 4 × 10 m agility test (p = 0.02), medicine ball throw test (p = 0.04), and sit-ups (30 s) (p = 0.01). Conclusions: This study highlights the effectiveness of school-based HIIT in significantly enhancing physical well-being and physical fitness among adolescents.

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) implemented in physical education classes on adolescents’ motivation for exercise. (2) Methods: This study involved 60 male adolescents (16.23 ± 0.6 years) recruited from a local high school who were randomly assigned to either the HIIT group or the control group (CG). The Exercise Motivation Inventory-2 (EMI-2) questionnaire was used to assess how participation in a HIIT program influenced the motivation to exercise among adolescents. The experimental program consisted of a 12-week HIIT program, integrated into the preparatory part of physical education classes. Sessions were held twice weekly, with each session lasting ~10 min. The HIIT group performed the Tabata protocol, which consisted of two 4 min sequences of eight different high-intensity exercises (burpees, split jumps, jumping jacks, push-ups, wall ball, crunches, frog jumps, and Russian twists), each lasting 20 s with 10 s rest intervals, separated by a 1 min recovery period. The control group conducted the traditional moderate-intensity warm-up exercises for the same total duration. After the warm-up protocols, both groups continued with the same physical education classes, which included a variety of instructional and moderate-intensity activities. (3) Results: A significant time × group interaction was observed for social recognition (p = 0.04; partial eta squared η2p = 0.079, medium effect), indicating that HIIT had a superior effect compared to CG. Affiliation also showed a significant improvement in the HIIT group (p = 0.02), while no significant changes were noted in the CG (p = 0.35). Similarly, competition significantly increased in the HIIT group (p = 0.02), whereas no significant differences were found in the CG (p = 0.74). For all other motivational factors, no significant effects of time or group factors were found (p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: This study highlights the positive effects of school-based HIIT on male adolescents’ motivation, particularly in the area of social recognition.