Effect of Plong Exercise on Health-Related Physical Fitness of Mathayomsuksa 6 Female Students at Kongkaram School in Phetchaburi

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare effects of Plong Exercise on health-related physical fitness of female students of Mattayomsuksa 6, Kongkaram School in Phetchaburi. The quasi-experimental design was used for this research. The population of the study was female students at Kongkaram School, Phetchaburi. The subjects were 30 Mattayomsuksa 6/5 female students in the first semester of the academic year 2019. The sample was selected using purposive sampling.

The instruments used were as follows: 1) The Plong Exercise program affecting health-related physical fitness of Mattayomsuksa 6 female students. The content validity was approved by 7 experts. The program was then assessed for and the research purpose by using Rovinelli and Hambleton’s method, which had an index of item objective congruence (IOC) ranging from 0.5-1.00. The training session lasted for 8 weeks, 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) during 7:30-8:30 hrs. 2) AAHPERD Health Related Physical Fitness Test. The data were analyzed and presented using means, standard deviations, Repeated Measures ANOVA and a pairwise comparison of the means by Bonferroni's method.

The study showed that, after 8 weeks of the Plong Exercise program with 4 components, health-related physical fitness of the subjects with regard to triceps and medial calf skinfold thickness (mm) to measure Body composition, as well as of Sit and Reach Test (centimeter) to measure flexibility was not significantly different at 0.5 level before the training, during the 4^th week and after the 8^th week of training. Meanwhile, health-related physical fitness with the 1.5 Mile run test (min.) to measure cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, and 60 seconds of sit-ups (times) to measure abdominal muscle strength and endurance during the 4^th week and after the 8^th week of training was improved, with a significant difference at 0.5 level.