Analysis of the effectiveness of using elements of sports games and gymnastics in physical education lessons for high school students with visual impairments

The article presents the results of a study of motor activity, indicators of physical development and physical fitness of senior school students with visual impairments. According to numerous studies, individuals with visual impairments lag behind in their physical development and physical fitness compared to their healthy peers, especially during school age, when the body is actively growing and developing. The most common visual impairments among school students are myopia of varying severity and accommodation spasms, as well as conditions such as astigmatism, strabismus, and less commonly, hyperopia. All of this affects the level of health, physical development, overall physical performance, and the overall quality of life for students. Research of the development of motor activity, indicators of physical development and physical fitness of senior schoolchildren with visual impairments can reveal the specific needs of each, to select the most effective means and methods of physical education, to develop the most effective programs of physical development and physical training. The study involved 24 senior schoolchildren with visual impairments. The control group was engaged in the program approved by the educational institution. The experimental group for four months was engaged in the methodology developed by us. The study was conducted on the basis of the State Autonomous Educational Institution of the Krasnodar Territory “Novoleushkovskaya boarding school with vocational training”. Medical records were analyzed to identify any existing posture disorders in students with visual impairments. Visual-motor reactions and movement accuracy were assessed using the NS-PsychoTest hardware and software package from Neurosoft. The vital capacity of the lungs in older students with visual impairments was determined using Spirometry. The following tests were used to assess physical fitness: running for 100 m, bending and unbending the arms while lying on the floor, throwing a tennis ball at a target, a distance of 6 m. The study revealed that the use of mobile games with elements of handball and basketball, combined with fitball-gymnastics, breathing gymnastics, and eye gymnastics, helps to correct and prevent posture disorders, and improve the physical development and fitness of students with visual impairments.