Effects of kayaking on motor skills in children and adolescents with Down Syndrome
Prepared by: Paul Yejong Yoo, PhD, OT
Adaptive Sport/Recreation Categories
- Kayak
Study Type: Pre-post interventional.
Summary: Research has shown that physical exercise on unstable surfaces can lead to increase in body balance and gross motor skills among children with Down Syndrome (DS). Kayaking takes place on an unstable surface, providing sensory-motor, muscle strength and endurance stimuli, postural stabilization and balance reactions with the potential to improve physical abilities and motor coordination. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of an 8-week kayaking intervention program on the gross motor skills of children and adolescents with DS. Seven children with DS 8 to 14 years old took part in 40-minute kayaking classes, twice a week for 8 weeks. A systematic lesson plan was created and delivered by the author and two monitors, supervised by a Physical Education teaching with paracanoe training.
Pre-post assessments showed a significant increase in the children’s score in backward walking balance, one-legged hopping, ability to jump side to side, and moving sideways. When looking at individual sex, male participants experienced a significant increase in all the motor tasks listed above; female participants also experienced a significant increase except in jumping sideways. There were no statistically significant differences between the two sexes in terms of motor task scores. All participants were initially classified as having insufficient motor coordination; after the 8-week kayaking intervention, 28% of participants improved their classification. These positive effects may be related to the demands of kayaking which requires postural control in the sitting position, continuous adjustments to maintain balance due to the movements of the upper limbs of the body, the kayak, and the paddle in the water, as well as the upper limbs and paddle in the air. This study shows that kayak training can lead to improvements in gross motor skills including balance in children with DS.
Article Strengths
- First of its kind to assess the effects of kayaking on gross motor skills in children with DS.
- Demonstrated that kayak training can improve gross motor skills including balance in children with DS.
Article Weaknesses
- Non-randomized research design.
- Outcomes measured only at pre and post intervention, no data on maintaining improvements longitudinally (e.g. 6 months post intervention)
- Limited generalizability – small sample size, no details on recruitment methods.
- No limitations of the study stated in the article.
Take Home Messages
- Kayaking improves backward walking balance, one-legged hopping, ability to jump side to side, and ability to move sideways in children with DS.
- Physical activity training on unbalance surfaces is important in improving balance and gross motor coordination in children with DS.
Impacts on Clinical Practice
- Sports like kayaking should be promoted among children with DS.
- Systematic training protocols (i.e., lesson plan) for a specific sport can facilitate the delivery of a sports intervention.