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Associations between physical activity and physical fitness in preschool children: gender and age differences

Kang Zhu1, Cristina Cadenas-Sanchez2, Youzhi Ke1

  • 1School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

Scientific Reports
|July 17, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) associations in preschoolers differ by age and gender. Vigorous PA benefits boys and girls, while light and moderate PA effects vary by age and sex.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Exercise Science
  • Child Development
  • Physical Activity Research

Background:

  • Understanding the relationship between physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) is crucial for child development.
  • Previous research indicates PA influences PF, but age and gender-specific differences in preschoolers require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine gender and age-specific associations between different intensities of PA and various PF components in preschool children.
  • To provide insights for developing targeted PA interventions for young children.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 425 preschool children.
  • Assessed physical fitness (PF) using the PREFIT battery.
  • Measured physical activity (PA) levels and intensities (light, moderate, vigorous) via accelerometers.
  • Employed multiple linear regression analysis to determine associations.

Main Results:

  • Vigorous PA (VPA) positively correlated with lower-limb strength and cardiorespiratory fitness in both genders.
  • VPA was linked to better shuttle run times in girls.
  • Age-specific findings revealed varying associations for light PA (LPA) and moderate PA (MPA) with strength and shuttle run times across ages 3-6.
  • At age five, VPA was associated with multiple fitness components, while MPA showed a negative association with cardiorespiratory fitness.

Conclusions:

  • The relationship between PA and PF in preschool children is complex and significantly influenced by both age and gender.
  • Findings highlight the need for age- and sex-specific approaches in designing PA programs to optimize physical fitness in early childhood.

Keywords:
AgeAssociationGenderPhysical activityPhysical fitnessPreschool children

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