Movement Games as a Means of Enhancing Physical Fitness and Vestibular Stability in 8-9-year-old Pupils in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: A Case Study

Objective: To assess the influence of movement games aimed at enhancing the physical fitness and vestibular stability of primary school students in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, aged 8 to 9 years. The researchers conducted the study at a boarding primary school in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The study involved 125 students from the 3rd and 4th grades, and they were categorised into four groups: experimental group (EG) boys and girls, male and female control groups (CG). Results: The control group demonstrated noteworthy enhancements in the physical fitness and vestibular parameters of 8- to 9-year-old students both before and after engaging in physical games during physical education (PE) sessions. The experimental group exhibited superior physical fitness and vestibular stability indicators compared to the control group, along with a significant confidence level (p < 0.05). Therefore, the current study demonstrates that kinesthetic games that match students' characteristics, their interests, and how to organise them in practice are extremely important and practical. This study selected five new movement games for students aged 8 to 9 years old, using scientific research methods common in physical education. The purpose of these games is to help students stabilise their vestibules and develop physical fitness. Researchers conducted the study in two ways: outside of class and outside of physical education. The results showed that the exercise games selected for elementary school students from 8 to 9 years old in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, created vestibular stability and physical fitness development, as well as interest in physical education classes for 8- to 9-year-old students.