A recent study found a link between object-control skills in childhood and fitness in adolescence. A study published in the December issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise put 276 elementary schoolchildren in New South Wales, Australia, through movement-skill tests. Three were related to object control (kicking, catching and overhand throwing), and four were focused on locomotor skills (hopping, side galloping, vertical jumping and sprinting). Six years later, 244 students had their cardio-respiratory fitness measured by running timed laps. Boys and girls who had good object-control skills ran, on average, six extra laps than those with poor object-control skills.
Researchers think that object-control skills are often connected with participation in sports and other activities. Students who are good at these skills might be more likely to engage in recreational or organized sports, upping their fitness levels.
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