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Updated: Jul 14, 2025
Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
Published on: March 1, 2019
Effects of crawling exercises at home on improving young children's behavioral performance during the COVID-19
1Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China; Research Academy of Grand Health, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
Insights
Crawling exercises significantly improved young children's behavior more than rhythmic exercises. This study highlights physical activity's role in child development, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Exercise Science
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Physical activity is crucial for child behavioral development.
- The COVID-19 pandemic limited opportunities for children's physical activity.
- Home-based exercises can support children's development during restrictive periods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of home-based crawling exercises on young children's behavior.
- To compare crawling exercises with rhythmic exercises for behavioral improvement.
- To provide evidence for physical activity's role in child behavior during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Main Methods:
- 106 young children were randomized into a control (rhythmic exercises) or experimental (crawling exercises) group.
- A 10-week intervention program was conducted.
- Child Behavior Checklist assessed behavioral performance pre- and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Both exercise groups showed improved behavioral scores post-intervention.
- The crawling exercise group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in anxiety-depression and total behavior scores compared to the control group.
- Crawling exercises led to a reduction of 1.78 in internalizing, 0.88 in externalizing, and 2.65 in total behavior scores.
Conclusions:
- Crawling exercises are more effective than rhythmic exercises in enhancing young children's behavioral performance.
- Crawling exercises offer adaptable challenges beneficial for child development.
- Crawling exercises are recommended for home-based physical activity when outdoor options are limited.
Purpose:
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of crawling exercises at home on improving young children's behavioral performance, thereby providing a reference for the role of physical activity in protecting and promoting behavioral development during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Design And Methods:
In total, 106 young children were included and randomly divided into the control group (51) and the experimental group (55). A 10-week exercise intervention was implemented, during which the control group engaged in rhythmic exercises, while the experimental group performed crawling exercises. The behavioral performance of young children was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist before and after the intervention period.
Results:
Compared with before intervention, the behavior scores in the control group and the experimental group after intervention declined. In the control group, the internalizing behavior score, the externalizing behavior score, and the total behavioral score decreased by 1.12, 0.23 and 1.35 points, while those in the experimental group decreased by 1.78, 0.88 and 2.65 points, respectively. After the intervention, the experimental group behaved significantly better than the control group with regard to anxiety-depression and total behavioral performance (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Both crawling exercises and rhythmic exercises led to a statistically significant improvement in the behavioral performance of young children. However, owing to the inherent benefits of integrating diverse movement elements and offering adaptable levels of difficulty, crawling exercises demonstrated a more prominent influence on the behavior of young children as compared to rhythmic exercises. As such, crawling can be recommended as a form of physical exercise for young children at home when outdoor activities are not feasible due to weather changes or epidemic control measures.
