Strength and Fundamental Movement Skill (FMS) Training in Children

Intervention programmes were designed based on previous research (Duncan, et al., 2017; Faigenbaum, et al., 2011; Miller, et al., 2006) to ensure all exercises were developmentally appropriate for the age of the participants (an example session plan can be seen in the supplementary material). Each session consisted of five activities and lasted 50 - 60 minutes. Three out of the five activities were identical for the FMS and FMS+ groups, while two differed focusing on skill development for the FMS group and strength development for the FMS+ group. The FMS and FMS+ group received their sessions twice a week for 4 weeks. The sessions were delivered at least 48 hours apart to allow recovery and to reduce the risk of fatigue effecting performance (Faigenbaum, et al., 1996). All sessions were led by a researcher and a qualified sports coach.