Exploring the importance of diversified physical activities in early childhood for later motor competence and physical activity level: a seven-year longitudinal study

摘要

MC have been shown to be related to PA levels and fitness [14–17] and also seems related to academic and cognitive performance in children [18, 19]. MC are defined as;” … an organized series of basic movements that involve the combination of movement patterns of two or more body segments.” [[15];p52] and are often classified into three components: postural stability (e.g., static and dynamic balance), object control (e.g., catching and throwing) and locomotor movements (e.g., running and jumping). It is argued that postural stability is crucial to the development of the two other components of MC, i.e., locomotor movements and object control [20, 21]. MC are, considered as ‘building blocks’ for the development of more complex and sport-specific movement skills. Studies have found that the most ideal period to learn these skills is during preschool and early school years [21, 22]. It is suggested that underdeveloped MC potentially creates a barrier for participation in PAs [22, 23].