Fitness Promotion in a Jump Rope-Based Homework Intervention for Middle School Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) homework offers a promising approach for students to be physically active after school. The current study aims to provide holistic insights into PA homework design and the effects of implementation in practice. In total, ninety-three middle school students were randomly assigned to a homework group (HG) or control group (CG). Participants in HG (n = 47) were requested to complete jump rope homework three times per week for 12 weeks, while their counterparts in CG attended one health education class every week. A homework sheet was used to provide instructions and record information for exercise behaviors during homework completion. Physical fitness tests were conducted to investigate the effects of the jump rope homework on the physical fitness of middle school students. After the intervention, participants in HG reported moderate to vigorous PA during jump rope exercise. The average duration for each practice was approximately 48 min. The returned homework sheets accounted for 86.88% of all homework assignments, indicating a good completion rate. Compared with their counterparts in CG, participants performing jump rope exercise indicated greater improvement in speed, endurance, power, and core muscular endurance. Jump rope homework strengthened physical fitness for middle school students, which provided a valuable addition to comprehensive school PA practice.

Integrating elastic band into physical education classes to enhance strength training

“…PE nowadays is characterized by a comprehensive physical activity and health promotion program which is more than activity-only classes. Instead, an increasing attention is paid to essential components such as conceptual PE which teaches concepts and principles of physical activity via text materials and classroom sessions (Corbin, 2021 ) and PE homework which increases physical activity after school (Huang et al, 2022 ). Current trends in PE indicate a growing need to incorporate different types of fitness activities for balanced motor development (Lubans et al, 2010 ).…”