RESPIRATORY GYMNASTICS AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE DURING THE PANDEMIC

Abstract

Aim. The paper aims to assess the effectiveness of respiratory gymnastics for students based on the method of K. Buteiko and A. Strelnikova. Materials and methods. The study involved sixth grade students (n = 51) ages 11.78 ± 0.50 without chronic pathologies. Children of this age were chosen, since they are vulnerable to environmental factors and are in the main risk group for acute respiratory diseases as a result of hormonal changes, uneven growth and development, and imperfect functioning of body systems, including the respiratory system. A 3-month course of respiratory gymnastics was conducted among children. Mathematical processing of data was carried out using Microsoft Excel. Statistical analysis was performed in the Statistica 8 software package. The effectiveness of respiratory gymnastics was assessed by using a comparative analysis of the results obtained in the Stange test, Gench test, lung vital capacity test before and after physical activity. Results. During a three-month course of respiratory gymnastics, the average results of the Stange test in the general group increased by 11.3%; the Gench test – by 17.6 %; lung vital capacity – by 3.1 %, which indicates an improvement in the respiratory system. A significant increase (Mann – Whitney p < 0.05) was recorded for the Stange test, Gench test and lung vital capacity in both the general group and among female students. Conclusion. Respiratory gymnastics demonstrates its effectiveness and provides an increase in the level of functional capacities of schoolchildren.