This study used Fitbit pedometers to track the step counts of 21 college students over 15 weeks. The study aimed to assess patterns of physical activity while wearing the pedometer and determine if wearing it affected activity levels. Overall, pedometer use did not significantly impact activity levels. The number of days worn per week and average daily steps did not change significantly over the study. While no students increased their steps, four participants declined in activity. Female participants wore the Fitbit significantly more days per week than males. The study was unable to determine if pedometer use directly changed pre-study activity levels.
The document summarizes a study that used Fitbit pedometers to measure the physical activity levels of 21 university students over 15 weeks. It found that wearing the pedometers did not significantly impact activity levels. On average, females wore the Fitbit more days per week but males had higher daily step counts. Some individuals' activity decreased over time. The study suggests pedometers may not change behavior but could provide guidance to promote physical activity.
Healy and harrison et al. 2014 drop jump emg gluteoFábio Lanferdini
The document summarizes a study that examined the effects of a unilateral gluteal activation protocol on single leg drop jump performance. The study found:
1) Significant differences in contact time, peak ground reaction force, and flight time between the baseline day and when the gluteal exercises were performed, but no difference between the exercise day and a third baseline day, suggesting the improvements were due to practice not the exercises.
2) Using a typical error analysis to examine individual responses, there was no discernible pattern of enhancement or fatigue for any participant from the gluteal exercises.
3) In conclusion, the gluteal activation protocol did not acutely improve single leg drop jump performance beyond potential learning effects
This document summarizes a study that examined the effects of a 5-week cross-curricular physical education intervention on reception children's (ages 4-5) fundamental movement skills, physical activity, and weight status. The intervention incorporated lessons based on the story of "The Gruffalo" and assessed changes in these variables before and after for an intervention school compared to a control school. Key findings were that the intervention significantly improved children's fundamental movement skills and weekday physical activity, but did not significantly impact weight status or weekend physical activity. The intervention provides a model for using cross-curricular lessons to improve movement skills and physical activity in young children.
Correlation between conventional clinical tests and a new movement assessment...Stavros Litsos
Correlation between conventional clinical tests and a new movement assessment battery - Bachelor thesis
Despite the complexity of movements performed in sports, physical examination is today done by conventional tests that evaluate joints and muscles individually (e.g. Smith press test, Figure1). Our study used a new movement assessment battery of 20 reach tests, which incorporates the complexity and diversity of natural human movements, taking into consideration that joints are interdependent in a movement and that the planes and sequences of a movement change during its performance. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there is a correlation between conventional mobility tests and the new assessment battery.
The study surveyed 198 Greek students aged 15-17 years on their physical activity levels using the stages of change model. The majority (63%) were physically active in stages 4 or 5, with 53% in stage 5 having maintained an active lifestyle for over 6 months. Boys showed higher activity levels than girls at 75% versus 54%. Younger students (1st grade) had higher activity levels than older students (78% versus 50% for 3rd grade). Thus, inactivity seemed more pronounced among girls and older students. The researchers concluded that physical activity programs and services should emphasize girls and older students more prone to inactivity.
This document outlines a proposed intervention to increase physical activity among freshmen at Kansas State University. The intervention includes physical activity classes, laboratory sessions teaching exercises, and providing exercise kits for dorms. An evaluation plan involves initial and final surveys of freshmen to assess changes in physical activity, as well as monthly process surveys to track program participation and feedback. The goal is to increase physical activity knowledge and self-efficacy, leading to higher physical activity levels and potential long-term health benefits for students.
The document summarizes three clinical trials that examined the effectiveness of Pilates training in healthy adults. The strengths of the trials were that they used established measurements for their stated outcomes and addressed an area in need of research. However, the trials also had weaknesses. They lacked true experimental designs and had small sample sizes. Additionally, one trial did not define the Pilates method used. While the trials provided cautious support that Pilates can improve flexibility, core stability, and muscle activity, the lack of strong research methodology means future randomized controlled trials are still needed to strengthen the evidence for Pilates' effectiveness in healthy adults.
Ergonomics in NAEYC Accredited Child Care CentersChristina Kirsch
This document discusses research on ergonomics and musculoskeletal injuries among early childhood educators. It summarizes several international studies that found high rates of musculoskeletal pain, especially in the lower back, neck, and shoulders, resulting from tasks like lifting children, bending, and awkward postures. The studies recommend ergonomic modifications to equipment and environments, education on proper lifting techniques, and increased staffing levels to reduce injury risks. One of the first U.S. studies cited found that lower back injuries were most common among early childhood teachers and resulted primarily from lifting children.
The document summarizes a study that used Fitbit pedometers to measure the physical activity levels of 21 university students over 15 weeks. It found that wearing the pedometers did not significantly impact activity levels. On average, females wore the Fitbit more days per week but males had higher daily step counts. Some individuals' activity decreased over time. The study suggests pedometers may not change behavior but could provide guidance to promote physical activity.
Healy and harrison et al. 2014 drop jump emg gluteoFábio Lanferdini
The document summarizes a study that examined the effects of a unilateral gluteal activation protocol on single leg drop jump performance. The study found:
1) Significant differences in contact time, peak ground reaction force, and flight time between the baseline day and when the gluteal exercises were performed, but no difference between the exercise day and a third baseline day, suggesting the improvements were due to practice not the exercises.
2) Using a typical error analysis to examine individual responses, there was no discernible pattern of enhancement or fatigue for any participant from the gluteal exercises.
3) In conclusion, the gluteal activation protocol did not acutely improve single leg drop jump performance beyond potential learning effects
This document summarizes a study that examined the effects of a 5-week cross-curricular physical education intervention on reception children's (ages 4-5) fundamental movement skills, physical activity, and weight status. The intervention incorporated lessons based on the story of "The Gruffalo" and assessed changes in these variables before and after for an intervention school compared to a control school. Key findings were that the intervention significantly improved children's fundamental movement skills and weekday physical activity, but did not significantly impact weight status or weekend physical activity. The intervention provides a model for using cross-curricular lessons to improve movement skills and physical activity in young children.
Correlation between conventional clinical tests and a new movement assessment...Stavros Litsos
Correlation between conventional clinical tests and a new movement assessment battery - Bachelor thesis
Despite the complexity of movements performed in sports, physical examination is today done by conventional tests that evaluate joints and muscles individually (e.g. Smith press test, Figure1). Our study used a new movement assessment battery of 20 reach tests, which incorporates the complexity and diversity of natural human movements, taking into consideration that joints are interdependent in a movement and that the planes and sequences of a movement change during its performance. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there is a correlation between conventional mobility tests and the new assessment battery.
The study surveyed 198 Greek students aged 15-17 years on their physical activity levels using the stages of change model. The majority (63%) were physically active in stages 4 or 5, with 53% in stage 5 having maintained an active lifestyle for over 6 months. Boys showed higher activity levels than girls at 75% versus 54%. Younger students (1st grade) had higher activity levels than older students (78% versus 50% for 3rd grade). Thus, inactivity seemed more pronounced among girls and older students. The researchers concluded that physical activity programs and services should emphasize girls and older students more prone to inactivity.
This document outlines a proposed intervention to increase physical activity among freshmen at Kansas State University. The intervention includes physical activity classes, laboratory sessions teaching exercises, and providing exercise kits for dorms. An evaluation plan involves initial and final surveys of freshmen to assess changes in physical activity, as well as monthly process surveys to track program participation and feedback. The goal is to increase physical activity knowledge and self-efficacy, leading to higher physical activity levels and potential long-term health benefits for students.
The document summarizes three clinical trials that examined the effectiveness of Pilates training in healthy adults. The strengths of the trials were that they used established measurements for their stated outcomes and addressed an area in need of research. However, the trials also had weaknesses. They lacked true experimental designs and had small sample sizes. Additionally, one trial did not define the Pilates method used. While the trials provided cautious support that Pilates can improve flexibility, core stability, and muscle activity, the lack of strong research methodology means future randomized controlled trials are still needed to strengthen the evidence for Pilates' effectiveness in healthy adults.
Ergonomics in NAEYC Accredited Child Care CentersChristina Kirsch
This document discusses research on ergonomics and musculoskeletal injuries among early childhood educators. It summarizes several international studies that found high rates of musculoskeletal pain, especially in the lower back, neck, and shoulders, resulting from tasks like lifting children, bending, and awkward postures. The studies recommend ergonomic modifications to equipment and environments, education on proper lifting techniques, and increased staffing levels to reduce injury risks. One of the first U.S. studies cited found that lower back injuries were most common among early childhood teachers and resulted primarily from lifting children.
Educational intervation on water intake impoves hyration status and enhances ...Christina Gkaragkouni
An educational intervention was conducted with young athletes to evaluate if increasing water intake could improve exercise performance in hot conditions. Ninety-two athletes were divided into a control and intervention group. The intervention group received education on hydration and had improved water access. This led to improved hydration status in the intervention group as measured by urine tests, but not in the control group. Only the intervention group showed improved performance on an endurance running test after the intervention. The study demonstrates that improving hydration status through increased water intake can enhance exercise performance in young athletes training in heat.
20190410 Aquatic exercises improves BMD in postmenopausal womenJulie Tzeng
1) The study assessed the effects of a high-intensity jump-based aquatic exercise program on bone mineral density (BMD) and functional fitness in postmenopausal women. 2) The training group participated in 30-minute aquatic exercise sessions involving high-intensity jumping thrice weekly for 24 weeks, while the control group did not exercise. 3) The training group demonstrated significant increases in BMD at the total femur, lumbar spine, and whole body compared to the control group, as well as improvements in chair stand and time up-and-go test performance.
This document provides information about Melicia C. Whitt-Glover, PhD, and her work promoting physical activity through Instant Recess. It summarizes her background, describes what Instant Recess is which are 10-minute physical activity breaks incorporating aerobic movements. It then reviews several studies that have found Instant Recess breaks to be feasible across various settings and populations, with benefits including increased physical activity levels, reduced sick time and injuries at worksites, and improved on-task behavior and physical activity in schools.
Andrew Miller is a PhD candidate in physical activity and wellness at Arizona State University. His dissertation examines the effects of rewind yoga on balance, function, and strength. He has a master's degree from Utah State University and 10 years of experience teaching and conducting research related to exercise physiology, physical activity, and aging. His CV lists his education, teaching experience, publications, presentations, research funding and awards.
Cold water immersion alters muscle recruitment and balanceFernando Farias
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of cold-water immersion on the electromyographic (EMG) response of
the lower limb and balance during unipodal jump landing. The evaluation comprised 40 individuals (20 basketball players
and 20 non-athletes). The EMG response in the lateral gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, fibular longus, rectus femoris,
hamstring and gluteus medius; amplitude and mean speed of the centre of pressure, flight time and ground reaction force
(GRF) were analysed. All volunteers remained for 20 min with their ankle immersed in cold-water, and were re-evaluated
immediately post and after 10, 20 and 30 min of reheating
Neighborhood SES and walkability are related to physical activity in Belgian adults. The study examined the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), walkability, and physical activity using accelerometer and survey data from over 1,100 Belgian adults living in 24 neighborhoods. Living in a high-walkable neighborhood was associated with more moderate to vigorous physical activity and more walking and cycling for transportation. Low neighborhood SES was related to more cycling for transportation. No interaction was found between neighborhood walkability and SES, suggesting walkability benefits physical activity for all economic groups.
Adapted progressive isoinertial lifting evaluation for determining lifting ca...Premier Publishers
Weight of the load and its characteristics is considered to be the important risk factor for low back disorders (LBD) among manual materials handlers. Determining weight of the load and the amount of load a person can lift is important in minimizing the incidence of LBD. Among various methods like isometric, isoinertial and isokinetic, isoinertial approach of lifting evaluation is best as it is safe, inexpensive, simple and dynamically represents real world lifting. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of adapted progressive isoinertial lifting evaluation (PILE) for determining maximum acceptable weight of lift (MAWL). This experimental study was conducted among 30 adult male participants recruited from a university community. Adaptation was done to the box dimensions and the weights used for PILE. The subjects were instructed to perform the PILE protocol using adapted box and weights using free lifting technique at two vertical distances and lifting capacity was determined. Heart rate was monitored throughout the trial and the participants were asked to rate their discomfort in a six point likert scale. All the participants were comfortable in performing adapted PILE and no untoward incident was noticed during the procedure. It may be feasible to adapt PILE for determining lifting capacity.
This study examined the relationship between energy availability (EA) and bone mineral density (BMD) in college-aged runners, dancers, and non-athlete controls. The researchers found:
1) There was no significant correlation between EA and BMD in any group, suggesting other factors like mechanical loading influence bone health.
2) All groups had low EA below recommended levels, yet dancers still had greater BMD in the spine and hips than runners and controls.
3) Dancers' higher BMD despite low EA implies the high-impact loading of dance is more beneficial to bone than running's lower impacts.
The study aimed to analyze the effects of a 10-week minimalist running transition program on recreational runners. Eleven runners participated in the program, which included barefoot exercises, plyometrics, and a gradual increase in running mileage with minimalist shoes over 10 weeks. The results showed significant improvements in ankle dorsiflexion and great toe extension range of motion. A trend was observed of participants adopting a less rearfoot strike pattern. The transition program helped runners adopt minimalist footwear without injuries.
The document examines back muscle activity during three traditional mat Pilates exercises - swimming, single leg kick with static prone back extension, and double leg kick - through surface electromyography of healthy adult females. The study found that swimming increased lumbar extensor muscle activity the most at 29% on average compared to the other two exercises. Double leg kicking produced significantly more back muscle activation than single leg kicking. Overall, back muscle activation during the exercises ranged from 15-61% of participants' maximum voluntary isometric contraction levels.
This study aimed to examine the use of a wrist-worn triaxial accelerometer to classify upper- and lower-body dumbbell resistance training (RT) exercises. Sixty participants performed one set of 10 repetitions each of 12 different RT exercises while wearing an ActiGraph accelerometer on their nondominant wrist. Two methods - support vector machine and cosine similarity - were used to classify the exercises based on acceleration data. Both methods accurately classified the exercises over 75% of the time. The methods struggled to differentiate between bench press and shoulder press, as well as squat and walking lunge exercises. The study demonstrated RT exercises can be accurately identified using a single wrist-worn activity monitor.
Correlation of Sergeant Jump & Squats Tests Performance of Basketballers with...Premier Publishers
This study deals with the assessment of leg strength by sergeant jump test and squats test & its correlation with leg measurements and energy intake among young girls and boys undergoing regular basketball training (age: 10-15 yrs, n=400). Players were selected from leading basketball training clubs of Nagpur city, Maharashtra. Foot width, foot length, thigh circumference, calf circumference & ankle circumference were measured using a measuring tape. Leg strength of basketballers was evaluated by means of fitness tests such as sergeant jump test and squats test. Energy intake data was collected by 24 hour’s dietary recall method for consecutive three days. For the present study, both null hypothesis (H0) & non directional alternative hypothesis (H1) were formulated. The difference was tested at both 0.01 & 0.05 levels of significance. Correlations were derived using Pearson’s product moment coefficient of correlation. Basketballers possessed significantly wider & longer feet than standards for age & gender. Effect of age on three leg circumferences (thigh, calf & ankle) was found to be strong, with older girls & boys showed significantly (p<0.01) larger mean thigh, calf & ankle circumference than younger girls & boys. Although basketballers were regular in their daily meal timings, they failed to meet the daily requirements of energy intake. Older basketballers surpassed the younger basketballers with respect to the mean vertical distance jumped. All groups of basketballers were rated excellent for their mean performance of squats test. Leg anthropometry correlated positively with vertical jump & squats test performance of basketballers. Regular basketball training at young age should be coupled with recommended intake of energy to ensure leg strength.
1) Thirty 11-year-old girls participated in a study examining the effects of a 4-week Pilates intervention on body composition. Girls in the intervention group attended hourly Pilates classes 5 days a week while the control group engaged in normal after-school activities.
2) Results showed the intervention group had a significant reduction in BMI percentile compared to the control group. This effect was influenced by reductions in healthy girls with lower initial BMI values.
3) Girls enjoyed the Pilates classes and had high average attendance. The study suggests Pilates may be an effective way to increase physical activity and lower BMI in girls. However, larger and longer studies are still needed.
This document discusses postactivation potentiation (PAP), which is the acute enhancement of muscular performance due to a conditioning contraction. It reviews literature on factors that influence PAP, including gender, training status, exercise mode, load, and rest interval. It then outlines a study purpose, hypothesis, and methods to determine the effects of PAP on vertical jump performance in elite female high jumpers. The study will manipulate the mechanistic variables identified in the literature review to optimize PAP for this population.
This presentation attached are of ownership of Justin Brooks and the Exercise and Sports Science Program of the University of Memphis. It discusses how exercise with focus on visual- reactive stimuli can be highly beneficial when training the geriatric population. Research gathered showed large increases in confidence, as well as slight increases in muscle strength, balance, agility, and a drop in reaction time. For more information associated with this presentation, please feel free to contact me at my email or phone which can be found upon my profile.
Correlación entre equilibrio estático y autonomía funcional en mujeres de eda...Nadia Mendoza C.
This study examined the correlation between static balance and functional autonomy in elderly women. Stabilometric assessment was used to measure balance, including lateral displacements, anterior/posterior displacements, and elliptical area. Functional tests from the LADEG protocol assessed autonomy, including a 10m walk, getting up from seated/prone positions, moving around, and dressing/undressing. The results showed that women who took longer to get up from the prone position had greater mean amplitudes of lateral and posterior displacements and a larger elliptical area, indicating greater instability. This suggests that balance is correlated with functional tasks requiring rising from the floor in sedentary elderly women.
This document summarizes a thesis on the effects of an ankle stretching and strengthening program on flutter kick speed in collegiate swimmers. The study involved splitting 21 subjects into 3 groups - a stretching group, strengthening group, and control group. The stretching and strengthening groups each performed a specific ankle program 4 times per week for 4 weeks, while the control group did not. All groups performed pre- and post-tests of a 50-yard flutter kick time trial. The study hypothesized that the strengthening program would significantly decrease kick time and the stretching program would increase ankle range of motion. The document provides background on the importance of ankle flexibility and strength for swimming and reviews previous studies supporting ankle programs.
20181121 aquatic exercises vs knee osteoarthritisJulie Tzeng
High intensity aquatic resistance training over 4 months led to decreases in body fat and improvements in walking speed in post-menopausal women with mild knee osteoarthritis. Only the improvements in walking speed were maintained at the 12-month follow-up. Leisure time physical activity had a small relationship with changes in body fat and walking speed. The aquatic training was well-tolerated with some initial joint pain that decreased over the 4 months and no participants dropped out due to dyspnea.
1) A Escola Tradicional se concentrava na burguesia enquanto a Escola Nova surgiu como crítica, porém ambas contribuíram para a marginalização social de certos grupos.
2) Enquanto o método tradicional é considerado científico por se basear no método indutivo, a Escola Nova é vista como pseudocientífica por propor métodos não comprovados.
3) Saviani argumenta que quanto mais se pensou em democracia na escola, menos ela esteve presente, e que nenhum modelo é totalmente
Educational intervation on water intake impoves hyration status and enhances ...Christina Gkaragkouni
An educational intervention was conducted with young athletes to evaluate if increasing water intake could improve exercise performance in hot conditions. Ninety-two athletes were divided into a control and intervention group. The intervention group received education on hydration and had improved water access. This led to improved hydration status in the intervention group as measured by urine tests, but not in the control group. Only the intervention group showed improved performance on an endurance running test after the intervention. The study demonstrates that improving hydration status through increased water intake can enhance exercise performance in young athletes training in heat.
20190410 Aquatic exercises improves BMD in postmenopausal womenJulie Tzeng
1) The study assessed the effects of a high-intensity jump-based aquatic exercise program on bone mineral density (BMD) and functional fitness in postmenopausal women. 2) The training group participated in 30-minute aquatic exercise sessions involving high-intensity jumping thrice weekly for 24 weeks, while the control group did not exercise. 3) The training group demonstrated significant increases in BMD at the total femur, lumbar spine, and whole body compared to the control group, as well as improvements in chair stand and time up-and-go test performance.
This document provides information about Melicia C. Whitt-Glover, PhD, and her work promoting physical activity through Instant Recess. It summarizes her background, describes what Instant Recess is which are 10-minute physical activity breaks incorporating aerobic movements. It then reviews several studies that have found Instant Recess breaks to be feasible across various settings and populations, with benefits including increased physical activity levels, reduced sick time and injuries at worksites, and improved on-task behavior and physical activity in schools.
Andrew Miller is a PhD candidate in physical activity and wellness at Arizona State University. His dissertation examines the effects of rewind yoga on balance, function, and strength. He has a master's degree from Utah State University and 10 years of experience teaching and conducting research related to exercise physiology, physical activity, and aging. His CV lists his education, teaching experience, publications, presentations, research funding and awards.
Cold water immersion alters muscle recruitment and balanceFernando Farias
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of cold-water immersion on the electromyographic (EMG) response of
the lower limb and balance during unipodal jump landing. The evaluation comprised 40 individuals (20 basketball players
and 20 non-athletes). The EMG response in the lateral gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, fibular longus, rectus femoris,
hamstring and gluteus medius; amplitude and mean speed of the centre of pressure, flight time and ground reaction force
(GRF) were analysed. All volunteers remained for 20 min with their ankle immersed in cold-water, and were re-evaluated
immediately post and after 10, 20 and 30 min of reheating
Neighborhood SES and walkability are related to physical activity in Belgian adults. The study examined the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), walkability, and physical activity using accelerometer and survey data from over 1,100 Belgian adults living in 24 neighborhoods. Living in a high-walkable neighborhood was associated with more moderate to vigorous physical activity and more walking and cycling for transportation. Low neighborhood SES was related to more cycling for transportation. No interaction was found between neighborhood walkability and SES, suggesting walkability benefits physical activity for all economic groups.
Adapted progressive isoinertial lifting evaluation for determining lifting ca...Premier Publishers
Weight of the load and its characteristics is considered to be the important risk factor for low back disorders (LBD) among manual materials handlers. Determining weight of the load and the amount of load a person can lift is important in minimizing the incidence of LBD. Among various methods like isometric, isoinertial and isokinetic, isoinertial approach of lifting evaluation is best as it is safe, inexpensive, simple and dynamically represents real world lifting. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of adapted progressive isoinertial lifting evaluation (PILE) for determining maximum acceptable weight of lift (MAWL). This experimental study was conducted among 30 adult male participants recruited from a university community. Adaptation was done to the box dimensions and the weights used for PILE. The subjects were instructed to perform the PILE protocol using adapted box and weights using free lifting technique at two vertical distances and lifting capacity was determined. Heart rate was monitored throughout the trial and the participants were asked to rate their discomfort in a six point likert scale. All the participants were comfortable in performing adapted PILE and no untoward incident was noticed during the procedure. It may be feasible to adapt PILE for determining lifting capacity.
This study examined the relationship between energy availability (EA) and bone mineral density (BMD) in college-aged runners, dancers, and non-athlete controls. The researchers found:
1) There was no significant correlation between EA and BMD in any group, suggesting other factors like mechanical loading influence bone health.
2) All groups had low EA below recommended levels, yet dancers still had greater BMD in the spine and hips than runners and controls.
3) Dancers' higher BMD despite low EA implies the high-impact loading of dance is more beneficial to bone than running's lower impacts.
The study aimed to analyze the effects of a 10-week minimalist running transition program on recreational runners. Eleven runners participated in the program, which included barefoot exercises, plyometrics, and a gradual increase in running mileage with minimalist shoes over 10 weeks. The results showed significant improvements in ankle dorsiflexion and great toe extension range of motion. A trend was observed of participants adopting a less rearfoot strike pattern. The transition program helped runners adopt minimalist footwear without injuries.
The document examines back muscle activity during three traditional mat Pilates exercises - swimming, single leg kick with static prone back extension, and double leg kick - through surface electromyography of healthy adult females. The study found that swimming increased lumbar extensor muscle activity the most at 29% on average compared to the other two exercises. Double leg kicking produced significantly more back muscle activation than single leg kicking. Overall, back muscle activation during the exercises ranged from 15-61% of participants' maximum voluntary isometric contraction levels.
This study aimed to examine the use of a wrist-worn triaxial accelerometer to classify upper- and lower-body dumbbell resistance training (RT) exercises. Sixty participants performed one set of 10 repetitions each of 12 different RT exercises while wearing an ActiGraph accelerometer on their nondominant wrist. Two methods - support vector machine and cosine similarity - were used to classify the exercises based on acceleration data. Both methods accurately classified the exercises over 75% of the time. The methods struggled to differentiate between bench press and shoulder press, as well as squat and walking lunge exercises. The study demonstrated RT exercises can be accurately identified using a single wrist-worn activity monitor.
Correlation of Sergeant Jump & Squats Tests Performance of Basketballers with...Premier Publishers
This study deals with the assessment of leg strength by sergeant jump test and squats test & its correlation with leg measurements and energy intake among young girls and boys undergoing regular basketball training (age: 10-15 yrs, n=400). Players were selected from leading basketball training clubs of Nagpur city, Maharashtra. Foot width, foot length, thigh circumference, calf circumference & ankle circumference were measured using a measuring tape. Leg strength of basketballers was evaluated by means of fitness tests such as sergeant jump test and squats test. Energy intake data was collected by 24 hour’s dietary recall method for consecutive three days. For the present study, both null hypothesis (H0) & non directional alternative hypothesis (H1) were formulated. The difference was tested at both 0.01 & 0.05 levels of significance. Correlations were derived using Pearson’s product moment coefficient of correlation. Basketballers possessed significantly wider & longer feet than standards for age & gender. Effect of age on three leg circumferences (thigh, calf & ankle) was found to be strong, with older girls & boys showed significantly (p<0.01) larger mean thigh, calf & ankle circumference than younger girls & boys. Although basketballers were regular in their daily meal timings, they failed to meet the daily requirements of energy intake. Older basketballers surpassed the younger basketballers with respect to the mean vertical distance jumped. All groups of basketballers were rated excellent for their mean performance of squats test. Leg anthropometry correlated positively with vertical jump & squats test performance of basketballers. Regular basketball training at young age should be coupled with recommended intake of energy to ensure leg strength.
1) Thirty 11-year-old girls participated in a study examining the effects of a 4-week Pilates intervention on body composition. Girls in the intervention group attended hourly Pilates classes 5 days a week while the control group engaged in normal after-school activities.
2) Results showed the intervention group had a significant reduction in BMI percentile compared to the control group. This effect was influenced by reductions in healthy girls with lower initial BMI values.
3) Girls enjoyed the Pilates classes and had high average attendance. The study suggests Pilates may be an effective way to increase physical activity and lower BMI in girls. However, larger and longer studies are still needed.
This document discusses postactivation potentiation (PAP), which is the acute enhancement of muscular performance due to a conditioning contraction. It reviews literature on factors that influence PAP, including gender, training status, exercise mode, load, and rest interval. It then outlines a study purpose, hypothesis, and methods to determine the effects of PAP on vertical jump performance in elite female high jumpers. The study will manipulate the mechanistic variables identified in the literature review to optimize PAP for this population.
This presentation attached are of ownership of Justin Brooks and the Exercise and Sports Science Program of the University of Memphis. It discusses how exercise with focus on visual- reactive stimuli can be highly beneficial when training the geriatric population. Research gathered showed large increases in confidence, as well as slight increases in muscle strength, balance, agility, and a drop in reaction time. For more information associated with this presentation, please feel free to contact me at my email or phone which can be found upon my profile.
Correlación entre equilibrio estático y autonomía funcional en mujeres de eda...Nadia Mendoza C.
This study examined the correlation between static balance and functional autonomy in elderly women. Stabilometric assessment was used to measure balance, including lateral displacements, anterior/posterior displacements, and elliptical area. Functional tests from the LADEG protocol assessed autonomy, including a 10m walk, getting up from seated/prone positions, moving around, and dressing/undressing. The results showed that women who took longer to get up from the prone position had greater mean amplitudes of lateral and posterior displacements and a larger elliptical area, indicating greater instability. This suggests that balance is correlated with functional tasks requiring rising from the floor in sedentary elderly women.
This document summarizes a thesis on the effects of an ankle stretching and strengthening program on flutter kick speed in collegiate swimmers. The study involved splitting 21 subjects into 3 groups - a stretching group, strengthening group, and control group. The stretching and strengthening groups each performed a specific ankle program 4 times per week for 4 weeks, while the control group did not. All groups performed pre- and post-tests of a 50-yard flutter kick time trial. The study hypothesized that the strengthening program would significantly decrease kick time and the stretching program would increase ankle range of motion. The document provides background on the importance of ankle flexibility and strength for swimming and reviews previous studies supporting ankle programs.
20181121 aquatic exercises vs knee osteoarthritisJulie Tzeng
High intensity aquatic resistance training over 4 months led to decreases in body fat and improvements in walking speed in post-menopausal women with mild knee osteoarthritis. Only the improvements in walking speed were maintained at the 12-month follow-up. Leisure time physical activity had a small relationship with changes in body fat and walking speed. The aquatic training was well-tolerated with some initial joint pain that decreased over the 4 months and no participants dropped out due to dyspnea.
1) A Escola Tradicional se concentrava na burguesia enquanto a Escola Nova surgiu como crítica, porém ambas contribuíram para a marginalização social de certos grupos.
2) Enquanto o método tradicional é considerado científico por se basear no método indutivo, a Escola Nova é vista como pseudocientífica por propor métodos não comprovados.
3) Saviani argumenta que quanto mais se pensou em democracia na escola, menos ela esteve presente, e que nenhum modelo é totalmente
The document discusses various financing options for home energy improvements in Connecticut. It outlines three trends in the residential energy upgrade market: growing solar adoption, natural gas conversions, and insulation improvements. It then provides details on solar financing through leasing or owning with a Smart-E loan. Financing is also available for natural gas, insulation, and other upgrades through the Smart-E loan program. The document shares stories of homeowners who have used these financing options and provides contacts for more information.
Este documento presenta información sobre las rocas y los minerales para estudiantes de 4o grado de primaria. Los objetivos son conocer la composición de la Tierra, distinguir entre rocas y minerales, y reconocer los minerales y su clasificación. Explica la estructura de la Tierra, la diferencia entre materia orgánica e inorgánica, y cómo los minerales forman parte de las rocas. Además, introduce la clasificación de los minerales según su dureza usando la escala de Mohs.
Много говорят о Системном Подходе, мало используют. Краткое пособие для тех, кто хочет понять: что такое Система? Что не является Системой и как практически использовать Системы и Системный Подход?
How the Hunt Library redefined the library for the digital ageScopernia
The James B. Hunt Jr. Library in North Carolina, USA, represents the future of libraries and a true understanding of how people can thrive in a place that is built on digital.
This study had three objectives: 1) to determine if an activity-tracking device could increase physical activity, 2) to test if the Theory of Planned Behavior could predict physical activity, and 3) to examine the relationship between physical activity and mobile/transport time. The study found that physical activity significantly increased when wearing the tracking device but the TPB did not predict activity levels. Physical activity also showed no relationship with mobile/transport time. The study supports using tracking devices to encourage physical activity but found limitations with applying the TPB in a technology context and sustaining long-term behavior change.
Physical activity healthy people 2020 pdfErin Thornton
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAG) provides science-based guidelines to help Americans aged 6 and older improve their health through appropriate physical activity. The PAG was first released in 2008 and is part of Healthy People 2020. Healthy People 2020 guidelines recommend that children and adolescents get at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, while adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. However, over 80% of US adults and adolescents do not meet these physical activity guidelines.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Expectant Mothers on Physical Activity A...ijtsrd
Pregnancy is often considered a crucial and complete metamorphic stage in a woman life. Undoubtedly as you continue your pregnancy, you will have numerous questions about various aspects of having a healthy and safe pregnancy. Being physically active during pregnancy contributes significantly towards the health and wellbeing of the mother as well as the child. The aim of the current study is understand the knowledge, attitude and practices of expectant mothers towards physical activity in pregnancy. A total of 100 expectant mothers in the third trimester, 50 of government hospital and 50 of private hospitals, were selected from different maternity hospitals across the city, Hyderabad, through random sampling. The data was collected through self administered questionnaires. Data compilation was done using Microsoft excel version 2010 and statistically analysed using chi square test. The results revealed that while majority of the expectant mothers from both the hospital settings agreed that physical activity is important during pregnancy, they reported decrease in physical activity following pregnancy which may be attributed to various reasons like the lack of advice from health care providers regarding physical activity majorly among the government hospital women and reported barriers like fatigue and pregnancy discomfort, lack of time and fear regarding the safety of physical activity during pregnancy. It was observed that greater number of expectant mothers of the government hospital performed adequate physical activity when compared to their counterparts. Thus, the study concludes that although there was no statistically significant difference in knowledge regarding the guidelines for physical activity in pregnancy yet the expectant mothers of government hospitals were more physically active than that of expectant mothers of the private hospital. Anam Fatima | Dr. P. Ashlesha ""Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Expectant Mothers on Physical Activity - A Comparative Study"" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-3 | Issue-4 , June 2019, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd23745.pdf
Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/medicine/gynecology/23745/knowledge-attitude-and-practices-of-expectant-mothers-on-physical-activity---a-comparative-study/anam-fatima
Physical Activity in Australian Adults: A Public Health PerspectiveLouise Miller Frost
Physical inactivity poses health risks for the majority of Australian adults and is a modifiable risk factor for diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. While guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, surveys found about 40% of Australians do not meet this level. Individual education interventions have shown only moderate short-term effectiveness in increasing physical activity levels. Environmental interventions also have limited effectiveness, and population physical activity levels remain largely unchanged. Intersectoral actions across multiple areas may be needed to more successfully promote physical activity.
The document summarizes national physical activity guidelines and methods of assessing physical activity. It provides recommendations for different age groups, discusses barriers to participation, and describes various subjective and objective methods for measuring physical activity, including surveys, pedometers, accelerometers, and doubly labeled water testing.
This document outlines a proposed study investigating the effects of an after-school physical activity intervention on children's physical activity levels. The study would use a quasi-experimental design comparing an intervention group receiving the multi-component after-school program to a control group receiving usual after-school care. Physical activity would be directly observed at baseline and follow-up using the SOFIT protocol. The author hypothesizes that the after-school intervention will significantly increase physical activity levels in the intervention group compared to the control group.
bioDensity and Vibration Research ReviewGreg Maurer
This document reviews research on bioDensity isometric technology and whole body vibration. It finds that vibration exercise can help build strength, increase bone mass, improve organ function, balance, and quality of life for individuals aged 12 and older. Several studies show that short bouts of low-level vibration increased bone and muscle mass and reduced symptoms of conditions like osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome by stimulating blood flow and the release of hormones. Vibration exercise represents an effective non-pharmacological approach to improving health and functional ability, especially for the elderly.
AbstractThis informative report focuses on filling information.docxbartholomeocoombs
Abstract
This informative report focuses on filling information gaps regarding adherence to physical activity and exercise in the health care spectrum of older adults and an overview of the benefits of physical activity for OAs. Healthy People 2000, 2010, and 2020 are public health programs from the US Department of Health and Human Services that set national goals and objectives for promoting health and preventing disease. The programs include ten leading health indicators that reflect major health problems, which concern OAs. Exercise and physical activity are among the most important factors affecting health and longevity, but exercise adherence is a significant hindrance in achieving health goals in the elderly. Exercise adherence in OAs is a multifactorial problem encompassing many bio-psychosocial factors. Factors affecting adherence in the elderly include socioeconomic status, education level, living arrangements, health status, pacemakers, physical fitness, and depression. Improving adherence could have a significant impact on longevity, quality of life, and health care costs.
Keywords: Geriatric Medicine, Health Care, Health Professionals, Exercise Adherence
Introduction
Geriatric health care delivery is a major public health issue. Geriatrics refers to diagnosing and treating older adults (OA) with complex medical conditions and social problems. A recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) stated, “OA are generally defined according to a range of characteristics including chronological age, change in social role and changes in functional capabilities. In high-resourced countries older age is generally defined in relation to retirement from paid employment and receipt of a pension, at 60 or 65 years. With increasing longevity some countries define a separate group of oldest people, those over 85 years. In low-resourced countries with shorter life-spans, older people may be defined as those over 50 years” (World Health Organization, 2010a). OA are the largest and fastest growing segment of the population, which present significant challenges to the health care system. Understanding the factors contributing to the health practices of OA is important for professionals, paraprofessionals, and paid and unpaid caregivers who need basic and continuing geriatric education to improve care. Adherence to physical activity and exercise programs is a critical but poorly understood area for promoting health and longevity.
The terms physical activity and exercise are often used interchangeably, but they are different. Physical activity involves movement produced by skeletal muscles that require energy from metabolism. It is grouped as occupational, sports, conditioning, household, or other activities. Exercise is a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive. It promotes health, fitness, and skill and the results of the program can be measured with specific tests (Caspersen, Powell, & Christenson, 1985; F.
Physical Activity Level Analyses and Chronic-Degenerative Disease Risks In Do...IJERDJOURNAL
Abstract:- It is of common belief that physical activity can restore damages caused to people's health due to the stressful everyday work routine. The energy expenditure on physical activities is directly related to the frequency, duration and intensity of human movements developed on many tasks. Thus, the main objective of this paper was to evaluate this energy consumption in public school teachers from the city of Horizonte, Ceara, discussing about degenerative chronic disease risks. 30 teachers, 9 men and 21 women within the age of 25 to 59 years old, were evaluated. Their Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated in order to classify them as normal, overweight and obese. As an instrument, the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnarie (IPAQ) was used, once it is more recommended to national prevalence studies due to the possibility of international comparison. This instrument contains several questions related to frequency (days per week) and duration (time per day) spent on moderate and vigorous physical activities and walking. The questionnarie also captures the energy expenditure in METs, in order to classify the selected individuals according to intensity: “sedentary” (< 1,5 METs), “low” (1,5 < METs < 3,0), “moderate” (3,9 < METs < 5,9) and “high” (≥ 6,0 METs). These analyses were performed using the Epi Info™ program, which used descriptive statistics. The results showed that the teachers present a good level of physical activity with 46,67% classified as high, 40% as moderate and 13,13% as low. The individuals also presented significant degree of overweight and obesity, 43% and 34% respectively, and only 23% within the acceptable weight range. Therefore, it could be concluded that, among the modifiable risk factors, the physical activity and the body mass control play important roles when it comes to chronic-degenerative disease prevention
Running head: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SELF-EFFICACY 1
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SELF-EFFICACY 2
The Relationship between Physical Activity and Self-Efficacy in Schools
Abstract
Few studies have examined the relationship between physical activities and health outcomes among adolescents. The majority of the adult population knows much about health-risk behaviours of adolescents, and knows less about their health-promoting behaviours. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between physical activity levels and self-efficacy among adolescents.
Introduction
According to Start Active, regular physical activity associates with benefits for physical and mental health (as cited in Roberts et al, 2015). Studies have indicated that health life traits and styles have an impact on lifelong health and life quality. Childhood poor diet and physical inactivity have been risk factors for a multitude of chronic health condition in adulthood (Matthews et al, 2015). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for children, only 42% of children and 8% of adolescents achieve current recommended physical activity.
Most students studying in Hoca Ahment Yesevi University were hound to have health issues emanating from lack of physical exercise and personal fitness programs (Ozkan, 2015). Up to 70 per cent of university students are reported as not participating in regular free-time physical activity or exercise (Haase et al, 2004, as cited in Roberts et al, 2014). Simon et al (2015) mentioned that majority of the adult population fails to achieve recommended daily exercise, 30-minutes moderate intensity exercise. When physical activity is conducted regularly as the researchers found out, it is likely to improve the physical fitness of the students and generally of people and therefore contributing heavily to better healthy life styles. Achieving daily exercise was shown to promote better sleep quality and higher psychological functioning in adolescents (Kalak et al, 2012, as cited in Rew et al, 2015).
Styles and activities that promote the health of humans increase their chances of wellbeing and therefore promote healthy living. In achieving well-being in health, there must be a mentioned engagement in activities which are likely to enhance the same such as proper exercises and fitness methods. Health promotion takes quite a multidimensional structure, that is, intellectual, mental, physical and social and therefore a number of behaviours which are meant at promoting behaviours are identified by health professionals and other researchers. These behaviours include life appreciation, stress management, health responsibility, social support, exercise and better nutrition. Therefore a general conclusion is arrived at that physical activity and exercise have an impact on the quality of human life and can actually aid its improveme.
Efficacy of patient education and supervised exercise in Elderly patients wit...iosrjce
IOSR Journal of Nursing and health Science is ambitious to disseminate information and experience in education, practice and investigation between medicine, nursing and all the sciences involved in health care. Nursing & Health Sciences focuses on the international exchange of knowledge in nursing and health sciences. The journal publishes peer-reviewed papers on original research, education and clinical practice.
By encouraging scholars from around the world to share their knowledge and expertise, the journal aims to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the lived experience of nursing and health sciences and the opportunity to enrich their own area of practice. The journal publishes original papers, reviews, special and general articles, case management etc.
This presentation explores the physical inactivity level of Asian females aged 45-54 in England and recommends interventions that can potentially increase PA in the present target population
Some people realized about the importance of physical activity in maintaining health and wellness. This perception exists because there is a lot of efforts and studies done to improve people health and wellness through physical activity. In top of that, it is known that motivation is one of the main effects of the people participation in sports or physical activity. Therefore, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, many have agreed that motivation plays important role in determining physical activity level. Hence, this study will be conducted to determine the relationship between extrinsic motivations with the physical activity level. The researcher has randomly selected 172 students from Faculty of Education UiTM as a respondent of this study. The study was conducted using questionnaire based on the Exercise Motivation Inventory (EMI) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) which then been edited to fulfil the requirement of the study. This study is to examine the relationship between extrinsic motivations with the physical activity level. The results showed that there was significant relationship between extrinsic motivations with the physical activity level. The male respondent was found to have high level of physical activity better than female respondents.
draft adult participation in excercise-3Oliver Oxby
This study examined barriers and motivations for exercise participation among adults in South Bradford. Questionnaires were given to two groups - a weight maintenance group and weight loss group. Barriers identified included lack of time, cost, lack of confidence in joining a gym, and associating exercise with boredom. The weight maintenance group exercised more minutes per week than the weight loss group, but the weight loss group exercised more times per week. Limitations included a small sample size focused only on clients of one company.
Effect of brisk walking on body fat percentage of sedentary collegeAlexander Decker
This study examined the effects of a 6-week brisk walking program on body fat percentage in 30 sedentary college students aged 18-25. Body fat percentage was measured before, during, and after the training using skinfold calipers. Results showed a significant reduction in body fat percentage from the beginning to the end of the 6-week training program. While there was no significant difference between the first two measurements, body fat percentage significantly decreased between the second and third, third and fourth, and fourth and fifth measurements, indicating the effectiveness of brisk walking at reducing body fat in this population.
This document summarizes research from over 50 studies evaluating interventions to increase physical activity levels across different age groups and settings. The research shows mixed results, with some interventions like tailored walking programs and changes to the built environment effectively increasing activity, while other school-based programs had little impact. Overall, the review finds that there are no single solutions and a range of factors must be addressed to help populations become more active.
The effect of an educational program on strength-trainingadh.docxarnoldmeredith47041
The effect of an educational program on strength-training
adherence in older adults
Charilaos Papadopoulosa and Johnna M. Jagerb
aDepartment of Kinesiology, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington, USA; bDepartment of Nutrition,
Exercise and Health Sciences, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington, USA
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a strength-training
program combined with an educational intervention on resistance-training
knowledge, adherence, psychological parameters, and functionality in older
individuals residing in assisted living facilities. Twenty-four (mean age:
83.8 ± 8.0 years) participants were divided into three groups; one group
participated in strength-training plus an educational program, the second
group participated in a strength-training program, and the third group
served as a reference group. Both strength-training groups completed an
8-week training program using elastic tubing twice per week. The educa-
tional program was offered once a week for 20 minutes and consisted of
various strength-training topics. All participants completed the Up and Go
test; handgrip strength test; questionnaires to determine quality of life,
depression and fatigue; and a strength-training knowledge test before
and after 8 weeks of training. Repeated Measures ANOVA was used to
determine differences. The strength training plus education group had a
significantly (p = .03) higher (87.5%) attendance rate compared to the
strength training only group (69.2%). After 8 weeks of training, the partici-
pants in the combined strength and education group experienced a sig-
nificant (p > .05) increase in strength-training knowledge, functional ability,
and quality of life compared to baseline testing. The results showed that an
educational intervention has a positive effect on strength knowledge, func-
tion, and attendance rate. Additional research is needed to determine the
long-term effect of such educational components when added to regular
strength-training programs.
Older adults (65 years and older) in the United States are the fastest growing segment of the
population and are projected to continue to increase for the next 20–30 years compared to other
segments of the population (Nelson et al., 2007; Skelton, Greig, Davies, & Young, 1994). As the
human body ages, the functions of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and muscular systems are
affected. The decline in skeletal muscle begins in the 4th decade of life (Doherty, 2003; Nair,
2005). As muscle mass is reduced, the ability to generate force decreases, therefore, reducing the
individual’s ability to participate in activities of daily living (Doherty, 2003; Nair, 2005; Narici,
Maganaris, Reeves, & Capodaglio, 2003). Porter, Vandervoort, and Lexell (1995) reported that by the
age of 70, cross-sectional muscle area decreases by 25% to 30%. The functional implication is that
muscular strength is decreased by 30% to 40% (Porter et al., 1995). A.
This document is a literature review on factors that influence physical activity levels in primary school children. It discusses three factors: parental influence, participation in sports/muscular fitness, and physical education programs in schools. The literature review analyzes three studies that examined these factors and their relationship to children's physical activity and health outcomes. The studies used methods like observing children's activity during recess, examining links between parental activity levels and children's activity and health metrics, and assessing effects of physical education programs on activity levels. The review found that all three factors can positively influence children's physical activity.
Effect of Eight Weeks Conditioning On Body Mass Index of College StudentsIOSR Journals
This study examined the effects of an eight-week conditioning program on the body mass index (BMI) of 50 male college students aged 17 to 23 years old. The students participated in conditioning exercises six days per week for one hour each session. BMI was measured before and after the eight weeks through pre- and post-tests. The results showed that the mean BMI decreased significantly from 25.66 to 24.30, indicating that participation in regular conditioning exercises can be effective for lowering BMI in college students.
Levels of Physical Activity Participation of the Staff of Universiti SelangorIOSR Journals
Abstract: This study is carried out to identify the levels of the Universiti Selangor (Unisel) staff’s participation
in physical activities. It aims to investigate the stages of their physical activities to determine whether these
activities are beneficial to them or otherwise. This study is a descriptive survey research of which the data has
been collected via questionnaire from 231 employees of Unisel in Bestari Jaya Campus. Respondents are asked
questions about their physical activities based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPIQ). The
findings reveal that many members of the staff of the Universiti Selangor practice physical activities as their
way of life. However, the level of their participation in physical activities has not reached a satisfactory level.
The respondents often carry out physical activities, but mostly their participation is still considered within the
range of average to low level. The respondents’ participation in physical activities is influenced by their attitude
which seeks acknowledgment rather than practicing it as a healthy lifestyle. The findings shows that the
employees’ physical activity participation is very high. However, they do not carry out the activities according
to the principles of physical activity domain. This study concludes that there are still many Unisel staff members
that seldom treat physical activities as their everyday routines. The findings show that 106 of the respondents
carry out physical activities at a low level, 49 of the respondents at the medium level and 76 of the respondents
at a high level. The findings are insufficient to establish that the respondents have carried out the best physical
activity practice. The results conclude that these Unisel staff members still need to be guided and educated in
order to ensure that their participation in physical activities becomes a healthy lifestyle that is led by the whole
community.
Keywords: Employee, Low, Medium and High Level, Physical Activities
Similar to Does Wearing an Activity Monitor Affect Activity Levels (20)
Levels of Physical Activity Participation of the Staff of Universiti Selangor
Does Wearing an Activity Monitor Affect Activity Levels
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Does Wearing an Activity Monitor Affect Activity Levels? College Students in Small Study
Use pedometers to Track Steps Over Fifteen Weeks
David A. Queen
March 23, 2015
2. Queen 2
Abstract
Physical activity and human health are directly associated, yielding positive and negative
consequences dependent on the amount and type of physical activity. One of the main ways by
which humans are physically active is walking. This study used a Fitbit pedometer to measure
the amount of steps taken in a group of (n=21) students at the University of North Carolina at
Asheville over a period of 15 weeks. The goal of the study was two fold: 1) to assess the
patterns of physical activity levels while wearing the pedometer and 2) to determine if wearing
the pedometer had an effect on activity levels. Overall, pedometer use did not significantly
impact the physical activity levels of the students. Days per week wearing the Fitbit and steps per
day did not change significantly throughout the study. Over the course of the experiment, no
student increased in steps per day wearing the Fitbit, while four participants declined in activity.
Overall, female participants had a significantly higher frequency of using the Fitbit (days/week)
P=0.001. It is impossible to determine if wearing a pedometer changed activity levels from prior
to wearing it. There did not appear to be any significant effect on activity levels during the
course of the experiment.
Introduction
Human physical activity has drastically changed over time with the transition from the hunter-
gatherer lifestyle to the more sedentary lifestyle of modern day living. The activities required in
everyday life of our ancestors varied from hunting and capturing game animals, building shelter,
caring for children, gathering edible vegetation, and making tools. The broad range of activities
speaks to describe the Paleolithic way of life; individuals had to work to eat and live. While this
is still true of the modern day livelihood, the physical demands for type of work have changed.
The environmental pressures and demands of our ancestors have been considered comparable to
the desiderata of modern day Olympic athletes (Ruff 2000). Introduction of more industrialized
and mechanized systems has decreased the need to spend the vast majority of each day
expending energy towards acquiring basic survival needs of food and shelter. These advanced
system developments allowed humans the ability to become less physically active with many
humans being at opposite ends of the spectrum, either exercise enthusiasts or almost completely
sedentary.
Physical activity is defined as any skeletal muscle movement that causes energy expenditure
(Tremblay et al. 2007). The energy expenditure is the amount of calories used in internal
(digestion and basal energy expenditure) and external (all bodily movement) activity completed
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by the body (Abadi et al. 2010). Physical activity can be thought of as light, moderate, or
vigorous, dependent on the heart rate of the individual performing the activity. The maximum
heart rate for an individual can be estimated as 220 beats per minute minus the individual’s age.
Light and moderate physical activity (such as walking and jogging) does not elevate the heart
rate above 60 percent of the maximum heart rate, whereas vigorous physical activity (which
utilizes large muscle groups) will push the heart rate above 60 percent of the maximum heart rate
(Heath 1993).
Physical activity and human health are directly associated, yielding positive and negative
consequences dependent on the amount and type of physical activity. A lack of physical activity
and an increase in inactive time are both risk factors for humans. These risk factors are
implicated in negative health outcomes such as obesity, type II diabetes, atherosclerosis,
coronary hearth disease, cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and hypertension (Archer, 2011).
Conversely, an increase in physical activity has shown to decrease levels of depression (McPhie
2012, 2015), improve cardiorespiratory fitness, increase elasticity of arteries and veins (Myers er
al. 2015) and increase task-related activity in the prefrontal and parietal cortices in the brain
(Colcombe et al. 2004). Physical activity at a young age promotes physical density,
mineralization, and geometry of bone structure; and as individuals age, physical activity and
exercise decrease the potential for bone degradation (Eaton, 2003).
One of the main ways by which all humans are physically active is walking. In the movement of
walking, skeletal muscles use force on the internal (body) and external (ground) environments to
maintain stabilization and move the body’s center of gravity (weight) forward (Kaneko, 1990).
There are numerous variables used in gait analysis such as stride length (the front to back
distance between the feet during one step in the forward motion) and stride width (the side to
side distance between the feet during one step in the forward motion). Cadence (the natural
rhythm of walking) is the preferred step frequency, stride length and width of an individual,
whereas walking speed is the rate of walking motion. Average walking speeds for males are 1.5
m/s and for females are 1.2 m/s (Abadi et al. 2010).
The movement of walking demands multiple muscles to work in cooperation in order to propel
the body forward. Physiologically, hip and knee extensor forces work with the ankle plantar
flexor to give support and forward motion. The soleus and gastrocnemus focus on supporting the
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movement; these muscles contribute predominantly to forward propulsion, leg swing, and weight
stabilization. At higher speeds the iliacus functions to increase leg speed at the start of a step,
while the medial hamstrings function to decrease leg speed at the end of a step (Neptune 2008).
When transitioning from walking to running, muscles will use similar biomechanical
mechanisms to focus on support and forward propulsion, however there is a significant decrease
in soleus contribution in running compared to its prominent role in walking, which is attributed
to the change in kinetics (Sasaki 2006).
Drastic change and increase in technology have helped shape a lifestyle in which humans are
more sedentary than ever before. However, instead of focusing on technology as a problem, it
can be viewed as a solution. Innovations in technology to promote physical activity and healthy
lifestyles range from video games and electronic food and travel diaries, to accelerometers and
geospatial technologies (Hillier, 2008). With the expansion of technology to promote physical
activity and healthy lifestyles has also come a development for use of such technologies to be
used to promote physical activity. These formats of applying technology to promote healthy
behaviors have been termed “interventions” and have increasingly been used in clinical practices
(Sallis et al. 2015), schools, families, and workplaces (Lubans, 2009). Physical activity
assessment technologies vary from heart rate monitors, stabilometers, horizontal time monitors,
pedometers, gait assessment monitors, electronic motion sensors and accelerometers. The study
detailed in this paper has chosen one of these technologies, a pedometer, to measure the amount
of steps taken in a study group (n=21) of students at the University of North Carolina at
Asheville. It is hypothesized that wearing the pedometer will cause an increase in physical
activity levels. The goal of this study is to assess the patterns of physical activity levels and
determine if wearing the pedometer had an effect on the individual’s activity.
Methods and Materials
The pedometer used in this study is termed a Fitbit* (Fitbit inc., United States) which was chosen
for its ease and comfort of use, accessibility, reliability, and inexpensive nature. A comparison to
other activity monitors found the Fitbit to yield reliable and valid measurements of physical
activity (Voojis et al. 2014). The Fitbit uses a 3-axis accelerometer to measure body acceleration
data such as frequency, duration, intensity, and patterns of movement that are then run through
an algorithm to translate these measurements into user friendly data such as steps taken and
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estimated calories burned. It should be noted that the algorithm is designed to pick up motion
patterns that are closely likened to walking. Dependent on if the motion produced is reaching the
designed threshold it will be counted or not counted as a step. This systematic error could
possibly lead to the Fitbit over or undercounting steps, i.e. riding in a vehicle on a bumpy road or
walking on a very soft surface such as a plush carpet (fitbit.com).
Dr. Aubrianne Rote collected and supplied the data used in this study, which was obtained by
incorporating the use of the Fitbit into a 15-week long class in the Health and Wellness
Department at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. The class consisted of 26 women
and 11 men ages 18-38. Students purchased a Fitbit and were instructed to wear it at their own
discretion. At the end of the semester, Dr. Rote had the students respond to a variety of questions
about their experience with the Fitbit and report their daily and weekly step results for the weeks
the Fitbit was worn. Any student who did not wear or have reported steps for more than two
weeks of the 15 week study time were excluded from use in the data analysis. Consequently, 12
of the 33 students had incomplete data and were excluded from the study. A total of 21 students,
15 women and 6 men, comprised the study population of this experiment.
The measurements used in analysis of the data were the total weekly steps taken, days per week
the Fitbit was worn, and the weekly average steps per day. Class data were compiled into three
categories of time period: early (weeks 2,3,4), middle (weeks 7,8,9), and late (weeks 12,13,14).
An ANOVA statistical analysis test was run to test if there were significant trends across the
early, middle, and late time periods for the group as a whole. The class was divided into the male
and female data for all measurements, and the averages of each measurement for the sexes was
calculated. Data for each individual were separated by the measurements of total weekly steps
taken, days per week the Fitbit was worn, and the weekly average steps per day. Regression tests
were used on each week (1-15) for the different measurements in order to identify any significant
trends for the individual student throughout the study. Any individuals who showed significant
(p0.05) increase or decrease in totals steps, days worn, or steps per day were then grouped
together to focus on any demographic differences or similarities within the individuals (such as
students living on or off campus).
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Results
Steps
Groups Average Std Dev SE Mean CV P-value
Steps (early) 194323 82652.4 18036.2 0.425 0.534
Steps (middle) 169468.7 88832.1 19384.8 0.524
Steps (late) 170488.3 70440.3 15371.3 0.413
Days
Groups Average Std Dev SE Mean CV P-value
Days (early) 18.1 2.9 0.6 0.163 0.586
Days (middle) 17.1 3.1 0.7 0.181
Days (late) 18 4 0.9 0.222
Steps per
Day
Groups Average Std Dev SE Mean CV P-value
s/d (early) 10591.3 3476.1 758.5 0.328 0.540
s/d (middle) 9538.9 4049.5 883.7 0.425
s/d (late) 9531.6 3020.4 659.1 0.317
Table 1: Class data averages, P-value, and coefficient of variance (Std/ Mean) of early, middle, and late time periods.
Figure 1: Male andFemale Averages of total weekly steps, days worn, andsteps perday.
50,000
60,000
70,000
Weekly steps
P=0.638
steps
Female
steps
Male
0
2
4
6
8
Days worn
P=0.001
days
Female
days
Male
0
5000
10000
15000
Steps per day
p=0.193
s/d
Female
s/d
Male
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Student ID # Weekly steps Days worn Steps per day
105 F 0.819143021 0.14027 0.42883
106 F 0.90212855 0.28404 0.88457
107 M 0.050721991 0.00419 0.81544
108 F 0.4861727 0.25602 0.89879
110 F 0.81533 0.17506 0.37711
111 F 0.64536 0.09137 0.27294
112 M 0.05273 0.68042 0.04045
113 F 0.97869 0.56815 0.31115
114 F 0.11253 0.68336 0.16457
116 F 0.0074 0.10691 0.00163
201 F 0.10208 0.06622 0.0423
203 M 0.41211 0.08381 0.24964
204 F 0.40542 0.20021 0.0371
209 F 0.83848 0.06358 0.93394
210 F 0.90241 0.01644 0.12976
211 M 0.51232 0.06959 0.27388
213 M 0.76014 0.27052 0.20172
215 F 0.33771 0.07855 0.54041
216 F 0.69046 0.62187 0.16337
217 F 0.26859 0.61528 0.14245
218 M 0.11901 0.64679 0.09714
* Legend F (female) / M (male) Negative trend Positive trend
Table 2: P-values of male and female individuals of each measurement, values of significance (P0.05) highlighted.
ANOVAs run on the early, middle, and late time periods showed no significant differences in
group data as all P-values were greater than 0.05 (table 1). The Coefficient of Variance (standard
deviation / mean) for the early, middle, and late time periods were greater than .20, indicating
high variability of the group data. Regression analysis and averages of male and female data
show a 5.56% difference in total weekly steps and 14.40% difference in steps per day. Males
showed higher averages in total weekly steps and steps per day (Figure 1). Regression tests
showed females had a significantly higher frequency of use (P=0.001) in days worn.
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Regression analysis of the individual data resulted in 28% (n=6) of the students showing
significant changes (p0.005) in the different measurement categories. The positive P-values
indicate an increasing trend and the negative P-values indicate a decreasing trend in the
respective measurement category. Total weekly steps had one positive and two negative trends,
Days worn had two positive trends, and steps per week had four negative trends (table 2).
Overall six of the nine individual significant changes were negative trends, with females
accounting for 80% of those negative trends. Individuals who exhibited significance in more than
one category tended to continue trending the same way for both, being either all positive or all
negative.
Discussion and Conclusion
Among the class data in the early, middle, and late time periods there were no significant
changes in total weekly steps, days worn, or steps per day (table 1). Averages, P-values,
coefficients of variance (CV) show that the overall class data is highly variable, and is likely that
no direct correlation can be drawn. The high degree of variation in the class reported data is
possibly due to the array of demographic variables within the subject group, i.e. age, work, living
and travel arrangements. The students’ knowledge of the required assignment related to use of
the pedometer at the end of the semester might have affected use of the Fitbit, causing further
variation. Assuming the average stride length of 2.5 ft, the averages for steps per day of the
group data can be converted to approximately 5 miles/day. The students in lower end of the
spectrum were traveling 5,000 steps/day or less (~2.5 miles/day); whereas students in the higher
end were traveling 13,000 to 15,000+ steps/day (~6.6miles/day).
Analysis of data between males and females show males having higher averages in the weekly
steps and steps per day, while females had an ~19% higher average in the days worn category
(figure 1). The higher use of the fitbit by females is applicable to existing literature findings
stating that physical activity monitors may be sex specific and requires further inquiry (Ho et al.
2013). The analysis of individual’s levels did reveal over a quarter of the class (28%) exhibiting
significant changes in the measurement categories. Within the individuals who did exhibit
significant changes, over half were negative, showing a decrease occurred in the total weekly
steps and steps per day (table 3). Eighty percent of the decreases which were attributed to
females who exhibited significant changes do not match results of previous research which
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shows that females using activity monitors have higher levels of physical activity than males
(Lubans 2009).
Overall, female participants had a significantly higher frequency of using the Fitbit (days worn)
P=0.001. It is impossible to determine if wearing a pedometer changed activity levels from prior
to wearing it; however there did not appear to be any quantifiable effect on activity levels
throughout the experiment.
Future research and implications
This type of study would benefit greatly from research that is conducted for a longer duration, as
most are 6 months or less. Other research invested in specific age groups for different sexes
could potentially allow for determination of age and sex specific guidance to incorporate and
affect physical activity levels for the various stages of life.
Acknowledgements
Dr. Aubrianne Rote Ph.D., associate professor Health and Wellness University of North Carolina
at Asheville- data collection and provision
Dr. Christopher Nicolay Ph.D., associate professor Biological Sciences University of North
Carolina at Asheville- contribution to data analysis and design
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