Nationwide fitness tests conducted in the autumn suggest that the endurance levels of Finnish eighth-graders have continued to decline over the past two years.
Schools across the country are implementing Move! tests to assess the physical condition of the fifth and eighth grades each year.
The program, which assesses endurance, speed, and strength, collected data from more than 107,000 students this year.
Results of some tests, including 20 meter line run -testness and movement test – have deteriorated over the last two years.
The average results of eighth-grade girls in the 20-meter line run decreased this year by 14 seconds compared to the previous year, while the boys ’13 seconds. But over the past two years, results have deteriorated by nearly half a minute for both girls and boys. Mikko Huhtiniemi, Move! Program.
"The last two years have been a challenging time due to the Covid-19 crisis, which could have affected these changes," Huhtiniemi stated.
Worrying trend
According to Huhtiniemi, in terms of fitness classes, endurance results have deteriorated the most since schools started Move! tests in 2016.
"This is a worrying trend, as sustainability is essential for basic operations and everyday tasks," he said.
The results of the fifth grade boys in particular have fallen steadily in the 20 meter running test over the last five years.
The overall test results, which include data from six sections measuring general fitness, show that 40 percent of fifth- and eighth-grade students are not in good enough condition, which means that their current physical condition can adversely affect their health and well-being. with everyday life it is difficult to cope.
"It can result in them having such a physically demanding day that they don’t have enough energy to play with friends in the evening or engage in other activities. It can lead to a vicious circle," Huhtiniemi added.
Improved mobility, weak core muscles
This year’s tests showed an improvement in male students ’mobility skills. "The boys ’long-term mobility results have improved across the board and that’s a small ray of hope. There could be a way to narrow the gap for girls," Huhtiniemi stated.
However, female students appear to have significantly better mobility skills than men. A quarter of eighth-grade boys were unable to perform a lower back extension adequately, compared with only six percent of girls.
In boys and girls in the fifth and eighth grades, on the other hand, their core muscle strength has weakened compared to the previous year.
"The number of repetitions for both fifth-grade boys and girls rose to 30 almost every year, but now it has decreased by two units for girls and three units for boys. However, it is a significant change in the results of tens of thousands of girls and boys. And unfortunately the same can be seen in eighth graders," Tommi Vasankari, Director of the UK Institute for Health Promotion Research, said.
Huhtiniemi points out that even small changes must be taken into account in an extensive study, such as Move !, which estimates a large part of the population.
Regional differences in fitness levels
The study also found several regional differences in the results of the physical fitness test. Fifth- and eighth-graders in Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and Northern Ostrobothnia performed better overall than other Finnish provinces.
Lapland and Kainuu, on the other hand, recorded the worst results in the country. The reasons for these differences remain unclear.
"Schools in the North could make longer study trips and excursions, which would mean sitting in a car for long periods of time. This can affect [physical fitness] situation," Huhtiniemi said.
Source: The Nordic Page