# The Impact of Karate and Yoga on Children's Physical Fitness: A 10-Week Intervention Study
## 4 Discussion
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l l l l l} \hline  & **F** & \(\mathbf{p}\) & **Groups** & **Mean Difference** & **SE** & **t** & \(\mathbf{p}\) \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Total All} & \multirow{4}{*}{35.91} & \multirow{4}{*}{\textless{0.001}} & Control vs. Karate & \(-\)8.00 & 1.25 & \(-\)6.38 & \textless{0.001} \\ \cline{3-7}  & & & Control vs. Yoga & \(-\)9.79 & 1.23 & \(-\)7.99 & \textless{0.001} \\ \cline{3-7}  & & & Karate vs. Yoga & \(-\)1.79 & 1.25 & \(-\)1.42 & 0.33 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: ANOVA and post hoc results for MTSF test: group comparisons. aimed at increasing grip strength. In the control group, a statistically significant decline in performance was observed in the jump and hand strength tests. When interpreting these results, it is important to consider that the children may not necessarily have jumped less or shown weaker hand strength compared to the initial measurement day, but rather did not demonstrate sufficient improvement to maintain their performance according to age-adjusted norms. Nevertheless, this remains an unfavorable trend. In one study examining the impact on the physical fitness of children attending additional swimming classes compared to their peers who did not engage in additional physical activity, improvements were observed in all MTSF trials, including hand strength. However, it is worth noting that this intervention lasted longer, spanning the entire school year from September to June, and the students had more training sessions during this period [36]. In other studies conducted by the authors, an improvement in physical fitness was also observed as the result of karate training in children of both normal body weight and those who were overweight. The study included 59 primary school-aged children from grades 1-3. The intervention lasted for 10 weeks, during which time the children primarily participated in games and physical activities combined with the basic techniques of the 10 th _kyu_ (knowledge of techniques and stances required for the first exam). The EUROFIT test, consisting of six trials, was used to assess physical fitness. A significant improvement in physical fitness was observed, particularly in the tests measuring hand speed, dynamic strength, and balance, especially in the group with normal body weight [37]. This confirms the findings of the present study and highlights the importance of implementing additional extracurricular physical activity, regardless of whether it is sufficient to meet WHO criteria or not. During the progressive stages of ontogeny, any additional physical activity is crucial, as it contributes to improvements in physical fitness. No statistically significant differences were observed between the effects of karate and yoga training in children. This suggests that introducing a training format where only one module of the session is changed is not enough to observe a noticeable difference between the groups. It implies that both physical activities can serve as beneficial additions to the weekly physical activity requirements, resulting in significant improvements in physical fitness. It is worth emphasizing that while the proposed forms of physical activity differ slightly, yoga is not as commonly associated with younger school-aged children. Karate classes are a frequent choice for children aged 7-10 as an organized extracurricular activity, similar to soccer or swimming. As the study results demonstrate, the activity itself is more important than the specific type of exercise. Therefore, it is essential to encourage children to engage in any form of physical activity that is suited to their age, motor skills, and available time and space. A recent study indicates that structured training for children aged 8-12 who are overweight or obese can positively affect physical fitness and posture. The study involved 64 children, with training sessions held three times a week for 13 weeks. Each session lasted 90 min and was divided into two parts: aerobic \"multigames\" and \"movement quality\".