The Effect of “Kashi Practices” on the Improvement of Psycho-Motor Skills in People with Down Syndrome

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of &ldquo;Kashi practices&rdquo; on the improvement of psycho-motor skills in people with Down syndrome. Methods: In this research, 28 men with Down syndrome between 21 and 43 years of age (mean age 25.917&plusmn;3.889) were randomly assigned to either a control (n=14) or an experimental group (n=14). All persons in the experimental group followed 12 weeks of selected exercise training (Kashi practices) three times a week. Prior to the start of the study, and after the three-month training period, each member in both groups was assessed according to the Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP). Results: The results indicated that Kashi practices could cause a significant improvement in psycho-motor skills in several variables such as strength, endurance, power, agility, reaction time, balance and running speed in the experimental group (P<0.05). These changes were not significant in control group (P>0.05) in any compression. Discussion: These results showed that Kashi practices could cause a significant improvement in psycho-motor skills and can be an important step to improve physical fitness, physical activity and quality of life in people with Down syndrome.