Background and Objective: Endurance exercise is essential for individuals with physical disability to perform daily activities of living and walking in school and community. Data regarding an exercise in children and adolescents with physical disability has been scared. The aim of this study was to investigate the change of physical endurance of children and adolescents with physical disabilities after joining a walking exercise program.
Methods: Thirty-six students with physical disabilities aged 7-18 years old who could walk with or without walking aids were recruited. Physical endurance was measured by a 6 minute walk test (6MWT) before and after a walking exercise program, performed 30 minutes per session; 3 sessions per week for 6 consecutive weeks.
Results: Mean (± SD) of walking distance before and after the exercise program were 336.9 (±95.9) m. and 388.58 (±126.6) m., respectively. Walking distance was increased by 51.7 meters (p<0.05) after the exercise program.
Conclusion: Adolescents with physical disability showed increased physical endurance after regularly perforoming group walking exercise 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week for 6 weeks.
Keywords: children and adolescents, physical disabilities, 6-minute walk test, endurance
