Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of students’ physical activity and threatens to sleep quality in the century. Although quarantine can be considered to fight against CORONA, its negative effects are certainly undeniable. COVID-19 restrictions led to reduced levels of physical activity and declines in functional capacity. Bodyweight training is an available method to withstand against detrimental effects of COVID-19 on students’ health specially sleep quality. This study aimed to examine the influences of eight weeks of bodyweight strength training on sleep quality of high school students.
Methods
The present study was semi-experimental in a pre-posttest design with a control group. The participant students (16.1±1.26 years old; n = 30) were randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 15) and the non-exercising control group (n =15). The pre/post assessment included: Sleep quality was evaluated by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The training protocol consisted of eight weeks of bodyweight strength training (Four sessions per week). After proving the normality of data distribution using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the exercises and Leven’s test was used to prove the assumption of homogeneity of variance. The data were also analyzed by SPSS 26 software.
Results
The results revealed an increase in sleep quality (p < 0.05) in experimental group.
Conclusion
Body weight strength training is an effective program to improve the sleep quality of students during COVID-19. It can be an available training program that can carry out at home.. Due to the possibility of closing schools in extraordinary circumstances such as the Corona pandemic or air pollution in densely populated cities such as Tehran and the impossibility of attending sports clubs or outdoor activities, it is recommended that this program, in the form of home exercises is the best way to improve performance and Improving students' health-related fitness factors and should be included in their weekly schedule.