Orienteering in the system of recreational and health-improving activity of student youth

Abstract

The research presents the results of the pedagogical experiment that was performed during the academic year 2017-2018; the study enrolled 48 students aged 18-19 years (n=48). The objective of our research was to identify the impact of means of orienteering during recreational and health-improving activity on the morpho-functional state, psychophysiological state and physical fitness of the young men and girls aged 18-19 years. We found out that at the end of the pedagogical experiment, the positive dynamics of most of the studied indicators was observed. The indicators of the cardiorespiratory system improved significantly (p <0.05; p <0.01). Significant changes (p <0.05; p <0.01) were observed in the indicators of the short-term memory capacity, of the volume of the processed information, of the attention span, and the number of mistakes made. In boys and girls, the latent period of the simple visual-motor reaction was significantly reduced (p <0.01) by 6.6 % and 6.1 %. Significantly (p <0.01), the latent period of a complex visual reaction decreased by 7.4 % in the young men, and in women - by 6.7 %. Recreational trainings in orienteering had a positive effect on physical fitness. In boys and girls, the significant changes (p <0.05; p <0.01) occurred during the performance of the motor tests: running 100 m race, shuttle running 4x9 m, standing long jump, running 3,000 m and 2,000 m race.