Effectiveness of a cross-circuit exercise training program in improving the fitness of overweight or obese adolescents with intellectual disability enrolled in special education schools

- We designed a simple and practical cross-circuit training program for overweight/obese students with intellectual disability.
- The program effectively improved cardiorespiratory fitness, dynamic balance, muscular strength/endurance, and weight control.
- Special schools could perform this type of training program to students with ID to enhance their health and fitness.

This study assessed the effects of a cross-circuit training intervention program on the body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, balance, and muscular strength endurance of overweight or obese students with intellectual disability. A total of 43 students with intellectual disability (aged 13-19 years) were enrolled in this program; 28 overweight/obese students were assigned to either an obesity-control group (n = 14) or obesity-exercise group (n = 14), and those with normal weight were assigned to a normal weight group (n = 15). The experiment was divided into three periods: pretest (involving the three groups), exercise intervention (involving only the obesity-exercise group), and post-test (involving the obesity-exercise and obesity-control groups). The test involved measuring the body composition, 1-min sit-ups, dynamic and static balance, vertical jumps, and modified Bruce treadmill protocols for measuring cardiorespiratory fitness. The exercise program involving the cross-circuit training concept was conducted nonstop with different types of exercise activities. The training program lasted 12 weeks, and it was executed 5 days a week, with each daily session lasting 50 min. The results revealed that the obesity-exercise group demonstrated reduced weight, BMI, and fat mass after the intervention program. Moreover, the exercise tolerance test (including total exercise time and maximal heart rate), dynamic balance, sit-up, and vertical jump performance of the participants improved significantly. In conclusion, the cross-circuit training program effectively improved cardiorespiratory fitness, dynamic balance, muscular strength and endurance, and weight control in overweight or obese students with intellectual disability enrolled in a special education school.