Cheerleading as an Effective Form of Physical Activity for Female Students

Engaging students in regular physical activity while considering their needs and interests is a key issue in the process of physical education in higher education institutions. Cheerleading is currently a popular form of physical activity among young people and can be effectively incorporated into extracurricular sports programs for female students. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of cheerleading training in comparison with traditional Physical Education classes. To achieve this goal, a pedagogical experiment was conducted at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. Two groups of first-year female students were formed. The control group (25 women) participated in Physical Education classes throughout the academic year but did not engage in extracurricular sports activities. The experimental group (17 women) participated in cheerleading training sessions during the academic year. The testing process assessed the development of speed abilities, endurance, balance, flexibility, and strength. The obtained results indicate that participation in cheerleading training sessions throughout the academic year contributes to a more pronounced improvement in motor abilities compared to the traditional Physical Education program. Female students who participated in cheerleading training instead of Physical Education classes demonstrated more significant improvements in physical fitness, with statistically significant results (p < 0.05) in all assessed physical fitness tests. Additionally, students involved in the cheerleading section reported an improvement in their psycho-emotional well-being as a result of the training. The students in the control group, who attended Physical Education classes, showed less improvement in physical fitness.