Gross motor skills - what is hidden behind the term

By definition, gross motor skills include the basic movements of the body. In contrast
to fine motor skills, which only require filigree movements of individual muscle parts, for
example with the fingers or toes, gross motor skills include all muscle groups required for
movement.
In order for children to be able to acquire basic motor skills, the development of balance
plays a crucial role. This forms the basis for learning to crawl and walk, and later to be
able to ride a bike.
In addition to the sense of balance, the term includes gross motor skills by definition all
the muscle tension in the body to perform movements (strength) sufficient body
awareness so that there is control over the tensing and relaxing of the muscles
(coordination)

Background of the motor skills module

Motor performance and physical activity are important Components of health. Physical and
sporting activity is a key one Area of health behavior of children and adolescents. Motor
performance is an important indicator of health Position of adolescents and is an expression
of a successful motor Development. Against the background of a salutogenic understanding
of health, activity behavior and motor performance can therefore be understood as
important health resources. Sedentary lifestyle, on the other hand, is seen as a key risk
factor for the health of people Seen children and young people. If one considers the state of
research, It becomes clear that sedentary lifestyle is associated with a number of health
problems Goes with risks. Sedentary lifestyle increases the prevalence of motor skills
Deficits, obesity, bad posture, psychosocial disorders and behavioral problems. The close
connection between health parameters and physical activity shapes the discussion about
health to a large extent Situation of children and (Knoll, 2004). Woll (2002) and others write
sport activity a supporting function to maintain and promote health. And also consider a
physical and sporty lifestyle to be a central health resource. It is assumed that such a
lifestyle is positive both directly and indirectly, for example about improving motor
performance on which Health effects.
If you focus on the motor performance and activity behavior of children and adolescents, the
answer to the question seems “How fit and active are our children and young people?” By
the media for a long time answered when there is a report of a “dramatic” lack of exercise
and performance losses of today's children and young people compared to previous
generations.
In science, however, this question has by no means been answered clearly. Firstly, this is
due to the lack of standardized, generally accepted questionnaires and tests to record the
physical and sporting activity and fitness. Second, there are no representative inventories
and thus no generalizable comparative values the motor performance and activity behavior
of the children and Young people around the world.
In addition, the state of research in world is hardly representative Studies examining
movement behavior and motor skills in children and adolescents in conjunction with
development and health issues. The analysis However, there is one relationship between
motor performance, activity behavior and the health of children and adolescents
essential basis for the development of effective prevention concepts.
Based on the data obtained, the current situation can now be motor performance and
physical and sporting activity of children and young people are described and analyzed in a
differentiated manner. this happens for example, taking into account the influencing factors
age, gender, Social status, migration background and residential area (city / country) or
residential region (old / new federal states). In addition, for the first time nationwide create
valid reference data on motor performance, but also on physical and sporting activity.

Linking the data of the motor skills module with the health data of the KiGGS also enables a
differentiated analysis of the connections between physical and sporting activity and motor
performance and health of children and adolescents in world. In addition to their importance
for health and sport science, the expected findings are of great practical and health-political
relevance. Practically relevant - e.g. with regard to the health-relevant design
of sport in kindergarten, school and in clubs - is for example the Clarification of which sport
is beneficial to health and under which conditions. Answers to this are also a basis for
political Discussion on the role of physical and sporting activity in the context of public
Health promotion, e.g. in relation to population-related measures for Promotion of physical
and sporting activities.

Examination objectives of the motor skills module

The first goal of the motor skills module is to identify the actual situation with regard to
motor skills To analyze the performance and physical activity of children and adolescents.
On the basis of the representative database so that a baseline can be created or norm
values for the classification of motor performance and physical and sporting activity of
adolescents can be established. With this initial data, motor development and activity
behavior can be classified in the future and in Relationship. This is the basis for long-term
activity and Motor skills reporting created.

Another important goal of the motor skills module is the analysis of connections between
physical and sporting activity, motor performance and Health or health behavior. These
connections can be made through a link with the KiGGS data can be reliably analyzed for
the first time. As a selected health parameter is discussed in this research report overweight
and connections with motor performance and physical and sporting activity are shown. It
also works therefore, differentiating features, e.g. Social status, migration background and
to work out urban / rural differences in order to make a contribution to the identification of
risk groups.
The results of the above analysis also provide an important empirical basis for developing
support programs for exercise and activity in different settings, e.g. in kindergartens,
schools and associations to be able to. This also includes the development of information
materials for Parents, teachers and educators as well as information events.

The importance of exercise for health

Obesity and a lack of exercise can be important pathogens in our lives Being company:
They are major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and
mental illness. Many children and adolescents suffer from the consequences of being
overweight and lack of exercise at an early age, such as the Increase in type 2 diabetes,
also known as adult diabetes in adolescents.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is now speaking of a world epidemic of obesity,
because 155 million school children worldwide are overweight. In Europe, 14 million school
children are overweight and of them 3 million children are obese. In world, based on the
KiGGS study, 25% of the children and adolescents examined are overweight and under
8.3% suffer from obesity. (European Health Report 2005 /WHO).

These numbers underscore the importance of giving all children the opportunity to adopt
healthy lifestyles such as healthy eating and physical activity. The idea here should be
“Make the healthiest choice the easiest one “(Health For All / WHO) are in the foreground.
In addition, especially in childhood and adolescence, those behaviors tried out, learned and
also stabilized, which can mean concrete health hazards in later years.
In order to enable a health-promoting lifestyle, political and infrastructural conditions are
created that are suitable for all children and Youngsters are equally accessible. The less
privileged people are particularly affected by today's social diseases.

A healthy way of life is for the individual well-being and the prevention of possible civilization
diseases of children and adolescents, but also of paramount importance to public health.
Both from the perspective of the risk factor model (“lack of exercise
as a significant risk factor ") as well as from the perspective of requirement-resource
approaches (" movement activity and motor performance as a resource, see e.g.
Salutogenesis model or systemic requirement-resource model . the importance of
movement and motor skills for the immediate and lifelong Justify maintaining health in an
excellent manner. Developmental psychologists have long emphasized the importance of
motor skills for the healthy development of children and adolescents, socialization
researchers work repeatedly the role of the body as a central resource.

Motor performance of children andTeenagers

Just like cognitive, linguistic, moral-ethical, emotional and social development, motor
development is a central dimension of the human ontogeny. Motor development represents
a lifelong one Process and takes place in physical activity in permanent dependence on and
dealing with the environmental and personality level. The individual underlying motor skills
and abilities are incorporated into this movement and become part of it further developed. In
general, the Individuality of development in inter- and intra-individual differences is
expressed. studies showing that the individual differences in motor development in a close
Connection with the material and social realities of the environment stand. In addition, a
wide range of exercise offers and exercise experiences can have a positive effect on motor
development.
The following is the current state of research on this topic sighted and assessed. The
findings from German and international studies included. Particular attention is paid to the
Asked to what extent historical changes in the motor performance of children and
adolescents are reflected in empirical findings let find.
If one considers the motor performance of children and adolescents, without the connection
with various influencing factors such as activity behavior and selected health parameters
can be found in the Literature numerous national and international reviews.
The abundance and variety of international studies on the motor performance of children
and adolescents is difficult to understand. In Europe were comprehensive empirical studies
on motor performance already published in 1953 by Stemmler and a number of other
authors.

Physical and sporting activity of children and young people

Against the background of a current debate about a “changed childhood”, The discussion
about the physical and sporting activity behavior of children and adolescents was
intensively conducted in sports science. The question of how physically active children and
adolescents are is more and more culturally pessimistic To hear the thesis that childhood
today is characterized by a lack of exercise. From the perspective of demonstrably
increased media consumption - in recent years mainly via cell phones, PCs and game
consoles with constantly high television consumption - become children often prematurely
labeled as “media freaks and body wrecks”. Recent studies show that the empirical
evidence for the widespread Assumption that the mediatization of children's life inevitably
leads to passive Leisure time consumption and suppress physical activity, cannot be
sustained without restriction and probably only for children with extremely high media
consumption applies.
It is undisputed, however, that the world of life and movement in children has changed
radically in recent decades. According to a study by Fuchs (1996) play between 32 and
40% of 10 to 12 year olds in world Children rarely or never on the street or in the field. In the
eight to twelve year olds. While on the one hand the lack of exercise of children in everyday
life is noted, on the other hand an institutionalized “sporting of childhood and also a. So will
Physical and sporting activity in early school age is increasingly carried out in an
institutionalized manner in protected rooms.

The assessment of children's physical activity behavior is obviously contradictory in the

literature. There are therefore exciting questions about the actual activity behavior of
children and adolescents, including: How physically active are children and young people in
Germany actually? In which social contexts are children and adolescents physically active?
How many children and adolescents achieve the recommended activities for a healthy
lifestyle? The following attempts to answer the questions about the physical activity
behavior of children and adolescents and to provide an overview of the current one
empirical evidence on the physical-sporting activity behavior of these To give target
audience.
Against the background of a "broad concept of sport" that appears appropriate for children
and adolescents, especially from the perspective of health Everyday physical activity (e.g.
going to school on foot), physical sports activity in school and club, and physical and sports
activity in leisure time outside of the club are considered in a differentiated manner. All in all
we therefore speak of physical and sporting activity (KSA) by children and Teenagers. The
focus is on children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 years. In view of the current research
situation, empirical studies based on surveys are primarily analyzed. Other methods of
recording physical and sporting activity only come into focus cursory (Woll, 2004).