Association of a Reyog Ponorogo–inspired exercise program with spinal flexibility in school-aged children: A community-based pre–post intervention study
Keywords:
Reyog Ponorogo, Low back pain, Spinal flexibility, Cultural-based intervention, Preventive physiotherapy, ChildrenAbstract
Low back pain (LBP) in children has become an increasing musculoskeletal concern, often associated with poor posture, prolonged sedentary behavior, and reduced spinal flexibility. Few preventive programs integrate culturally rooted movement traditions into structured physiotherapy-based interventions. This study aimed to examine changes in spinal flexibility following a culturally adapted Reyog Ponorogo–inspired exercise program among school-aged children. A community-based single-group pre–post design was conducted over three consecutive days at Sanggar Bimbingan Ampang, Malaysia. Seventy-five children aged 8–12 years meeting inclusion criteria participated. The intervention included a 30-minute posture education session followed by structured Reyog-inspired flexibility exercises consisting of warm-up, trunk mobility, rhythmic coordinated movements, and stretching. Spinal flexibility was assessed using the Sit-and-Reach Test before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-test. Spinal flexibility improved significantly, increasing from 17.24 ± 2.08 cm to 18.57 ± 1.69 cm (mean difference = 1.33 cm; p < 0.001). These findings suggest that a short-term culturally adapted movement program was associated with improved spinal flexibility in school-aged children. Further controlled and longitudinal studies are needed to determine long-term sustainability.
References
[1] Ö. G. Illeez, “Low Back Pain in Children and Adolescents: Real Life Experience of 106 Patients,” North. Clin. Istanb., 2020, doi: 10.14744/nci.2020.93824.
[2] S. B. Mahdavi, R. Riahi, B. Vahdatpour, and R. Kelishadi, “Association between sedentary behavior and low back pain; A systematic review and meta-analysis,” Dec. 01, 2021, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. doi: 10.34172/hpp.2021.50.
[3] T. S. In, J. H. Jung, K. S. Jung, and H. Y. Cho, “Spinal and pelvic alignment of sitting posture associated with smartphone use in adolescents with low back pain,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 18, no. 16, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168369.
[4] Nanehkeran Mahlagha Mousavi and Nourbakhsh Ali, “Musculoskeletal issues and risks in school children associated with cellphone and backpack use and strategies that parents and teachers can adopt to prevent them,” The European Society Of Medicine, vol. 13, no. 6, Jun. 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v13i6.6563.
[5] S. S. B. S. Bintang, E. R. Zein, M. Jannah, and D. Handayani, “Education About Posture Disorders In Elementary School Children,” JURNAL PENGMAS KESTRA (JPK), vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 190–194, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.35451/ensmbx69.
[6] M. P. Pacheco, P. J. Carvalho, L. Cavalheiro, and F. M. Sousa, “Prevalence of Postural Changes and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Young Adults,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 20, no. 24, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.3390/ijerph20247191.
[7] S. Sevasti et al., “Preventive physiotherapy interventions and their impact on public health: A Literature Review,” International Journal of Novel Research in Healthcare and Nursing, vol. 12, pp. 78–86, 2025, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.15668369.
[8] S. Padhan and A. Mohapatra, “Avilash Mohapatra/Empowering Wellness: Unveiling the Key Role of Physiotherapy in Preventive and Promotive Health/Indian,” Indian Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 71–77, 2023, doi: 10.21088/ijpm.2321.5917.11223.3.
[9] J. Jeong, E. E. Franchett, C. V. Ramos de Oliveira, K. Rehmani, and A. K. Yousafzai, “Parenting interventions to promote early child development in the first three years of life: A global systematic review and meta-analysis,” May 01, 2021, Public Library of Science. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003602.
[10] K. M. Bohaligah, M. M. Bohaligah, and S. M. Bohaligah, “Preventive Strategies for Pediatric Health in Primary Healthcare: A Systematic Review,” Cureus, Feb. 2025, doi: 10.7759/cureus.78719.
[11] Bernard Dianala M, “Understanding Socioculturalism in Early Childhood Education: Current Perspectives and Emerging Trends,” Journal of Culture, Society and Development, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.7176/jcsd/73-03.
[12] A. Froehlich Chow, H. McWhinney, T. Alexis, and M. L. Humbert, “Connecting cultural wisdom, physical literacy, and physical activity among older adults from diverse Indigenous communities: an exploratory review,” 2025, Taylor and Francis Ltd. doi: 10.1080/22423982.2025.2582912.
[13] G. Atmadiredja, D. K. Marjanto, I. Ulumuddin, and U. Sudrajat, “Preservation of Reog Ponorogo in Contemporary Society,” 2024, pp. 229–244. doi: 10.2991/978-2-38476-228-6_19.
[14] H. G. Li, “Technical analysis and simulation of dance movements based on biomechanical theory,” Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, vol. 22, no. 5, p. 1500, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.62617/mcb1500.
[15] Itsnaini Muslimati Alwi, Romelah Romelah, and M. Nurul Humaidi, “Cultural Preservation Efforts: Case of Reyog Art Performance at Muhammadiyah Ponorogo University, Indonesia,” Fikri : Jurnal Kajian Agama, Sosial dan Budaya, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 26–39, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.25217/jf.v9i1.4346.
[16] G. Bejarano, B. Csiernik, J. Young, M. O’Keeffe, J. A. Hayden, and J. Zadro, “Community-based exercise and physical activity for chronic low back pain,” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, vol. 2023, no. 11, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD015442.
[17] M. Mohammadi, F. Elahipanah, and S. Amani-shalamzari, “The role of the cultural environment in the development of physical literacy and physical activity of Iranian children,” BMC Pediatr., vol. 23, no. 1, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1186/s12887-023-04297-3.
[18] P. S. Hasmara, I. Ma’arif, and Yudi Dwi Saputra, “Enhancing physical fitness through school-based morning exercise: an experimental study among children aged 10–12 years,” Bravo’s: Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 781–793, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.32682/bravos.v13i4/225.
[19] J. Wu, Y. Yang, H. Yu, L. Li, Y. Chen, and Y. Sun, “Comparative effectiveness of school-based exercise interventions on physical fitness in children and adolescents: a systematic review and network meta-analysis,” 2023, Frontiers Media S.A. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1194779.
[20] C. Xiang, J. Zhao, T. F. Tengku Kamalden, W. Dong, H. Luo, and N. Ismail, “How coaches’ decision-making affects athlete selection: A systematic review and meta-synthesis,” Aug. 01, 2024, SAGE Publications Inc. doi: 10.1177/17479541241245852.
[21] E. Oliveira-Costa, D. Alonso-Fernández, and Á. Gutiérrez-Sánchez, “The impact of exercise on spinal posture in adolescents: a systematic review,” 2025, Sao Paulo Pediatric Society. doi: 10.1590/1984-0462/2025/43/2025013.
Downloads
Published
Conference Proceedings Volume
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.