The Effects of a Multi–Component Intervention on Motor Skill Competency, Physical Fitness, Strength, Physical Activity Levels and Self Esteem in Preadolescent Females

A movement-based intervention program called Move-Girls. The intervention consists of girls participating in an after-school based physical activity program being run out of Edith Cowan University Children's Physical Activity Hub. The program has multi components including fundamental movement skills (FMS), high intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength activities. Program duration is twice per week, 60 min per session, for ten weeks (20 sessions) to follow school term. The program will be designed and delivered by Chief Investigator, Kylie Cormack, who has qualifications and expertise in education and exercise & sports science. Graduating students from ECU's, Exercise and Sports Science course will be assisting in the delivery. There will be one multi-modal intervention group (A) plus a control group (B). Group A will follow the intervention described below and Group B will continue with their ‘normal’ weekly activity The organisation for the intervention program will include a warm up (10 min), HIIT/ FMS (30 min), strength activities (15 min) and cool down (5 min). The intervention organisation aims to be time efficient. Intervention components (HIIT/ FMS / Strength) The HIIT cycling protocol will be performed on stationary bicycle ergometers with each subject completing three sets; each set will consist of four bouts (i.e. 30 seconds of cycling followed by 30 seconds rest). A four min ‘rest period’ will be allocated between each set. The intensity will be > 90% maximum heart rate (MHR) or using Children’s ONMI Scale of perceived exertion ‘very hard to very very hard’. During the four min ‘rest period’, subjects will participate in an active FMS activity. FMS protocol. The subjects will view a short video of an expert performance of a FMS (i.e. overarm throw) which will be followed by an opportunity to practice and then receive feedback from an instructor. Fun based FMS activities using a variety of equipment will be set up in the space to practice the FMS (e.g. throwing for distance and accuracy using different size and weighted balls, kicking into targets, striking different size balls off batting tees, dribbling balls around obstacles). The program will progress weekly covering all main FMS and towards the latter half of the program sport specific skills (e.g. netball passing, football (AFL) handball) will be introduced. The strength component will be delivered by a circuit which will include different combinations of body weight type activities (e.g. plank, squats, push ups, sit ups, mountain climbers, tricep dips, fun-based animal walks [crab/bear] - workload 30 sec bouts), resistance exercises using light dumbbells (e.g. bicep curls, overhead press - 12 reps) and other strength exercises (e.g. battle rope exercises, boxing for fitness activities, medicine ball slams - working in bouts of 30 sec). Individual workloads (e.g. time, load, reps) will be varied as the child's strength improves. Fidelity – The facilitator will self report. For example, they will use a checklist for each session and tick off what was covered in the session and whether the girls engaged or spent the intended amount of time on the activity as outlined planned.