Incorporating Traditional Games in Physical Education Lesson to Increase Physical Activity Among Secondary School Students: A Preliminary Study

Physical education (PE) lesson is an important avenue for delivering physical activity (PA) opportunities during school hours. Non-sport activities like traditional games can be a practical way to promote PA during PE lesson, especially among those who are less inclined in sports. This study aims to determine whether playing traditional games during PE lesson can lead to greater PA compared to a ‘free-play’ PE lesson among secondary school students. A total of 56 subjects (Form 1: n = 27; Form 2: n = 29; mean age: 13.4 ± 0.5 years; mean BMI: 21.8 ± 4.9 kg/m2) from a school in Keramat, Kuala Lumpur were consented by their parents to participate in this study. PA was measured by using accelerometry (Actigraph GT3X+), on two separate PE lesson periods: PE lesson incorporated with traditional games and ‘free-play’ PE lesson. Subjects wore accelerometers for a total of 40 min during each PE lesson to determine total activity counts and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The chosen traditional games were Galah Panjang and Baling Selipar. Mean total activity counts (p = 0.007) and time spent in MVPA (p = 0.006) were 20% and 19% greater respectively, during traditional games-based PE lesson compared to ‘free-play’ PE lesson. Time spent in sedentary activity was 45% lower during traditional games-based PE lesson (5.3 ± 4.3 min) compared ‘free-play’ PE lesson (10.7 ± 11.7 min; p = 0.006). Boys appeared to be 25% more active than girls in this study. In conclusion, incorporating fun and meaningful activities like traditional games during PE lessons can serve as an alternative strategy to promote PA during school hours. Further studies are warranted to determine other types of traditional games that may promote PA in girls.