Integrating Resistance Exercises in PathFit 2: Impact on Out-of-School Physical Activity Participation of Maritime Students

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the impact of adding resistance exercises to PathFit 2 Movement Competency training on the outside Physical Activity (PA) participation of maritime college students. This research is quantitative, with maritime students as the dependent variable and resistance exercises/training in PathFit 2 as the independent variable. Selected sections of first-year students from a maritime school in the Philippines were the respondents of this research. This research used the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to measure the 7-day physical activity of the maritime students. A questionnaire was given during the orientation day at the start of the first semester of the school year 2025- 2026. Data were tested for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The pre- and post-intervention K-S test results were 0.134 and 0.143, respectively, with df=327, p <.001, which is less than the alpha of 0.05. Since the data were not normally distributed, the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was administered. There was a statistically significant difference in adding resistance exercises to Pathfit classes for maritime students on outside participation in physical activities (PA), with a p-value of .008 (a=0.05). The effect size was also computed using the matched-pairs rank-biserial correlation (r=.15), indicating that even with the resistance training added in the Pathfit classes, the weight of its effect falls in the small effect range. The result of this paper showed that adding resistance exercises has a positive effect on the outside physical activity participation of maritime students. This paper might help develop the Pathfit curriculum by adding resistance and weight exercises and training in students’ Pathfit subjects. Moreover, by doing so, more students might get engaged in physical activities even after school hours due to their confidence in exercise movements and knowledge of different resistance exercises.