Effects of exercise interventions on motor coordination in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD): A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Exercise packs the strongest evidence-based punch for improving every motor skill in kids with DCD.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Peng et al. (2026) pooled 24 trials that used exercise to help kids with developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
They looked at motor coordination, fine motor, hand-eye skills, and balance before and after the programs.
What they found
Exercise gave a large, clear boost to every skill area. Kids moved better, caught balls, and wrote neater after the workouts.
How this fits with other research
Ben-Itzchak et al. (2020) showed that kids with DCD can learn a new letter trace as fast as peers, but the skill vanishes when dots are removed. Changhui’s review says exercise works, but Esther warns you must keep practice close to real-life conditions.
Shih et al. (2011) used Wii Balance Boards to let clients turn on music or lights by doing squats. Their single-case A-B-A-B fits the big picture: movement plus fun equals big gains.
Falcomata et al. (2012) found teens with DCD have poor heart-rate control tied to higher body fat. The new meta-analysis supports adding fitness to fix both motor and health risks.
Why it matters
You now have solid meta-proof that exercise is a front-line tool for DCD. Pair drills with the child’s favorite sensory payoff, keep the setup like the real task, and track fitness as well as coordination. Build 15-minute active breaks into each session and watch the gains spread to handwriting, play, and peer acceptance.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Exercise interventions are recognized as an established therapeutic approach for children with DCD. This review aims to quantify the effectiveness of exercise interventions and examine the influence of potential moderating factors on outcomes. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and EBSCO from inception to November 1, 2025. All studies were rigorously screened based on predefined eligibility criteria. Risk of bias was assessed using ROB 2 and ROBINS-I. Effect sizes were calculated as Hedges' g (g) and pooled under a random-effects model, and potential moderators were examined through subgroup and regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 40 studies involving 1655 participants were included, of which 24 were eligible for meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that exercise interventions significantly enhanced motor coordination (g = 1.06, 95 % CI [0.57, 1.55], I² = 86.7 %), fine motor skills (g = 0.50, 95 % CI [0.24, 0.76], I² = 32.4 %), hand-eye coordination (g = 1.12, 95 % CI [0.70, 1.54], I² = 71.6 %), and balance (g = 0.54, 95 % CI [0.20, 0.88], I² = 77.3 %) in children with DCD. Subgroup analyses identified intervention setting, intervention approach, and study design as key moderating factors influencing the outcomes. Meta-regression analysis revealed a significant negative association between improvements in fine motor skills and both intervention duration (β = -0.0728, I² = 0 %) and the total number of sessions (β = -0.0129, I² = 0 %). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the efficacy of exercise interventions in enhancing motor coordination, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and balance in children with DCD. More rigorous experimental designs are needed to compare the effects of different intervention approaches and protocols, and to determine the optimal intervention dosage.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2026 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105184