Effect of a Spark Training Course on Walking Parameters and Pulmonary Capacity in Educable Mentally Retarded Boys

Based on the principle of individual differences and genetic abnormalities, there are always people with significantly different physical and mental differences compared with normal people. Some of these people are mentally retarded teens who are physiologically and motorically disadvantaged. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of Spark exercises on walking parameters and pulmonary capacity of mentally retarded boys.

The research was semi-experimental and the results are considered as applied. The statistical population of the study consisted of 30 mentally retarded students of Rahmat School in Uromia selected via available sampling, based on inclusion criteria, with an average age of 15.7 ± 1.4 and randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups (15 each). The experimental group participated in the SPARK exercises for 12 weeks after the pre-test. At the end of the training, all measurements of the variables were repeated with the same initial conditions. Independent and independent t tests were run to analyze the data. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 22.

The results showed that there is a significant difference between mean walking width variation, step length variations, two step length changes, and walking speed of experimental group and those of the control group (P> 0.05). The results also showed that there is no significant difference between the mean changes in foot deviation angle, FVC, FEV1, and FVC/FEV1 ratio betwen experimental and control groups

It seems that these exercises are suitable for improving the walking parameters of mentally retarded students, but in order to improve the lung capacity of boys with mental retardation, more intense exercises are required.