Introduction. The level of mental and motor development as well as physical fitness and perceptual-motor performance should guarantee success in adapting to the new school environment. The aim of the research. The aim of the research was to determine physical fitness in preschool children of both genders aged from 4 to 7 years. Material and methods. The study included 275 children at the chronological age of 4 to 7 years including 134 girls and 141 boys. In order to assess physical fitness, the authors used the Wrocław Physical Fitness Test for preschool children completed by the endurance test Results. Final physical fitness results showed that six-year-old boys were the fittest and less fit were girls at the age of seven. The least fit were boys and girls at the age of four.        Conclusions The Wrocław Physical Fitness Test and the endurance test revealed that the experimental group of children aged between four and seven years from the Western Pomerania region represented a satisfactory physical fitness level. It should be noted that this level was significantly lower than the ones obtained in tests conducted by other authors in 2006, 1996, 1972, and 1967. The represented fitness level, especially the level of endurance, may result in adaptation disorders during the school shock period. The phenomenon of sexual dimorphism at preschool age is demonstrated by significantly better physical fitness in boys at the age of five and six and balanced fitness at the age of seven. Positive development of physical fitness is not supported by ongoing lifestyle pre-orientation. It is recommended to complete primary school admission criteria for the first form by physical fitness standards, including endurance.

SummaryStudy aim: To assess health and social characteristics of female candidates for professional officers and non-commissioned officers of Polish Army. Material and methods: All female students of officer and non-commissioned officer Military Academies (16 each) were studied in 2009. Two questionnaires were applied in the study: IPAQ (short) for assessing the level of physical activity of the respondents and a specially designed questionnaire for assessing social situation, perceived health and pro-health behaviours.Results: The influence of the society on the respondents' decision to join the army is significantly higher among NCOS students than in the group of OS respondents (p<0.05). OS students perceive their health better than their NCOS mates (p<0.05). Among students' pro-health behaviours that were assessed in the research, the most advantageously presented is their physical activity. NCOS students are more resilient mentally (p<0.01), yet their inclination to make use of health service is much lower (p<0.01). Conclusions:The modern educational trends in health promotion call for modifying the existing military school curricula by including health education issues so that the superiors acquire not only commanding skills but become also exemplary health educators.

The aim of the research was to assess influence of a 90-minute specialist fencing training on selected features of the spine and pelvis under a vertical load in a group of young competitors. The research was carried out in 2015 among 23 fencers (mean ± SD, age: 16 ±1.20 years; body height: 168.4 ±4.68 cm; body weight: 54.7 ±8.26 kg). The method involved measurement of thirty features, describing spatially pelvis and physiological spinal curvature under a vertical load, constituting 1/3 of the body weight before and after specialist training. Statistically significant disturbances in vertically overstretched posture occurred after the training among examined boys within the following features: increase in length of left side scoliosis, progression of lumbar lordosis and lumbosacral spine, increase of the trunk extension angle and shoulder asymmetry. Among examined girls statistically significant changes occurred only within pelvis area: increase of left pelvic tilt in the coronal plane, decrease of right pelvic tilt in the horizontal plane. Adjustment in deficiencies within hip joints movement, increase pelvis and lower limbs muscle strength in girls' training is necessary. What is recommended for all competitors is prophylaxis of the spinal pain syndrome and expanding endurance shaping exercises during a training unit.

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