Physical Development of
Children
© Gallahue, D.L., Ozmun, J.C., & Goodway, J.D. (2012). Understanding
Motor Development. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
© 2012 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved.
The Physical Fitness of Children Has Been
Assessed Through a Variety of Laboratory and
Field-based Measures, and May Be Improved
Through the Application of Appropriate
Training Techniques
13-2
Physical Fitness Is a Positive State of Wellbeing Influenced by Regular Physical
Activity, Genetic Make-up, and
Nutritional Adequacy
13-3
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Cardiovascular/Aerobic endurance
Muscular strength
Muscular endurance
Joint flexibility
Body composition
13-4
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Definition: the ability to perform numerous
repetitions of a stressful activity requiring
considerable use of the circulatory and
respiratory systems
VO2 Max – the largest quantity of oxygen an
individual can consume during physical work
while breathing air at sea level
Measures of physical activity (activity selfreports, heart rate monitors, accelerometers)
13-5
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Muscular strength: the ability of the body to
exert force
Muscular endurance: the ability of a muscle
or a group of muscles to perform work
repeatedly against moderate resistance
The Strength – Endurance continuum
13-6
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Types
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Isotonic
Isometric
Isokinetic
Measures of Strength/Endurance
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Laboratory: dynamometers
Field: sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups
13-7
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Developmental factors
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Throughout childhood both boys and girls tend to
make steady year-to-year improvements on most
measures of muscular endurance with boys only
slightly outperforming girls prior to puberty
13-8
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Trainability (resistance training vs. weight
lifting)
Training results
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positive: strength enhancement, performance injury
reduction, improved performance
negative: epiphyseal growth plate injuries
13-9
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Definition: the ability of the various joints of
the body to move through their full range of
motion
Static/Dynamic flexibility (static vs. ballistic
stretching)
Joint specific
13-10
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Developmental factors
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Girls outperform boys
Preadolescent growth spurt (bone growth precedes
muscle & tendon growth)
Trainability (“use it or loose it”)
13-11
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Definition: proportion of lean body mass to
fat body mass
Field measures
Skin-fold calipers
 Body Mass Index (BMI)
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Sedentary lifestyles and obesity
13-12
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Movement control factors:
-balance (static & dynamic)
-coordination (gross motor & eye-hand)
Force production factors:
-movement speed
-agility/quickness
-power
13-13
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Definition: the ability to integrate separate motor
systems with varying sensory modalities into
efficient patterns of movement
Gross motor examples: hopping, skipping, vertical &
horizontal jumping
 Eye-hand & eye-foot examples: bouncing, catching,
throwing, kicking
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Developmentally, gross body coordination and
eye-hand and eye-foot coordination appear to
improve with age in a roughly linear fashion
13-14
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Definition: the ability to maintain the
equilibrium of one’s body when it is placed in
various positions
Vestibular apparatus (semicircular canals, otolith,
macula)
Measures
Static: one foot balances,
 Dynamic: walking board
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Developmental factors
Linear improvements from 2-12
 Girls more proficient up to age 7-8
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13-15
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Definition: the ability to cover a short
distance in as brief a time as possible
Reaction time & movement time
Measures: various short distance sprints
Developmental factors
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Improvements occur linearly throughout childhood
No gender differences to age 6-7, boys faster at all
later ages
13-16
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Definition: the ability to change the direction of
the body rapidly and accurately
Measures: shuttle runs of various distances
Developmental factors
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Improvements occur linearly throughout childhood
boys perform faster at all ages
agility performance of the most recent generation
declined in almost every age group and for both boys
and girls when compared to the scores recorded
decades earlier
13-17
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Definition: the ability to perform a maximum
effort in as short a period as possible
Explosive strength (strength x speed)
Measures: vertical jump, long jump, distance
throw, velocity throw
Developmental factors
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Linear improvements - early childhood through
adolescence in boys, to 13-14 in girls
13-18
Although the Components of Childhood
Fitness Can Be Modified Through Training,
We Need To Find Ways to Help Children
Sustain Increased Physical Activity That Are
Both Purposeful and Meaningful
13-19