ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2025
Feasibility of 'Muscle Movers': a teacher-delivered program to support children's participation in muscle-strengthening physical activity.
Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundMuscle-strengthening activity (MSA) is beneficial for school-aged children, but most school-based MSA interventions have been delivered by external specialists or research staff, limiting scalability. We aimed to assess the feasibility of a teacher-delivered MSA intervention for children in advance of a future efficacy trial.
methodsWe conducted a single-group feasibility trial with two Stage 2 (i.e. grade 3-4) classes from one primary school in New South Wales, Australia. The 6-week Muscle Movers intervention included (i) enhanced PE lessons focused on foundational MSA skills (1 × 45 min/week), (ii) classroom energiser breaks (2 × 5 min/week), and (iii) active homework tasks (1 × 10 min/week). We assessed acceptability, implementation, adaptation, and practicality using survey and interview methods. We also assessed pre-post change in children's perceived strength, upper-body muscular endurance, and lower-body muscular power. Data were analysed in SPSS (V.25) using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests, with Cohen's d as a measure of effect size.
resultsTwo female teachers (31 and 59 years) and 30 students (mean [SD] = 9.8 [0.6] years; 40% female) were enrolled. Acceptability was high for teachers (mean [SD] = 5.0 [0.0] out of 5) and students (mean [SD] = 4.1 [1.0] out of 5). Teachers implemented all PE lessons and more than double the intended energiser breaks (mean [SD] = 5.5 [2.1] per week). Conversely, homework task assignment (mean [SD] = 5.0 [1.4]) and completion (mean [SD] = 2.5 [0.7]) were lower than intended. Teachers reported high confidence to deliver the program and viewed it as practical and adaptable. We found a moderate increase in children's push-up performance (mean [95%CI] = 2.2 repetitions [0.7 to 3.8]; d = 0.61), but no meaningful changes in perceived strength (mean [95%CI] = 0.1 units [- 0.1 to 0.4]; d = 0.22) or standing long jump (mean [95%CI] = - 1.4 cm [- 7.4 to 4.7]; d = - 0.09).
conclusionsMuscle Movers was feasible for classroom teachers to implement in a primary school setting. The observed improvement in students' upper-body muscular endurance should be confirmed using an appropriately powered randomised controlled trial.
trial registrationRetrospectively registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12625000703404).
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