The Importance of Physical Activity

The Capstone Research Paper discussed the importance of Physical Education in the elementary school level. The participants for the Capstone Project included 20 fourth-grade students in a private school located in California’s Santa Cruz County. The Capstone Project applied the fourth-grade students multiplication skills in a Physical Education format. The observer took two weeks to complete this project during the students’ Physical Education class. The Capstone Project was an overall success; the students met the learning objective of the lesson. The observer found that the students responded better to doing multiplication when presented in a physical activity format. The students preferred working with partners when completing the assessment, rather than individually. The Capstone Project connects to the observer’s career path because she is able to find ways to incorporate physical activity in different lessons being taught throughout the entire school day

The Importance of Physical Activity and Physical Education

Sport is the perfect school for life. The skills acquired as a result of the game, physical education and sports are the basis for the development of the oligism of youth. Skills such as cooperation and trust are necessary for social cohesion and are realized in adulthood

Project ViTAL ViTAL (Vitality Through Active Living) Fijian project

Physical inactivity, along with other lifestyle-related health risk factors such as an unhealthy diet, is becoming increasingly prevalent in developing countries which face rapid economic and social development, urbanization and industrialization. The importance of physical activity as a means of NCD prevention and control is recognized in developing countries, as well as the need for suitable programmes, policies and guidelines. However, the evidence on implementing physical activity interventions in a developing country context is sparse. It is evident from research findings that encouraging participation in health-enhancing physical activity is a public health issue of urgent concern. A healthy revitalised community is one that is concerned about the well-being of the community, protection of the environment and investing into future generations. Research stresses that physical activity interventions carried out in developing countries include strategies to: • raise awareness of the importance and benefits of physical activity among the community, • educate the whole population and/or specific community groups, • conduct local physical activity programmes and initiatives; • build capacity among individuals implementing local physical activity programmes through training of potential programme coordinators; and • create supportive environments that facilitate participation in physical activity

The importance of physical activity in obesity

Obesity is the result of an excessive supply of energy in relation to the body's needs. The etiological factors include environmental factors, genetic factors, sedentary lifestyle, avoiding physical activity, stress or eating excessive amounts of fat. It is estimated that the problem concerns almost 60 million Europeans. Obesity is associated with the possibility of many health complications, including hypertension, carbohydrate disorders, insulin resistance and cancers. Treatment of obesity is a long-term process that needs to be started by finding the main cause, by choosing the right diet, pharmacology, and psychotherapy for rehabilitation. The essence of the fight against obesity is physical activity, which in addition to reducing weight and improving the appearance of other results, such as: strengthening the osteoarticular system, improving the lipid profile, increasing efficiency and physical fitness and improving the mental state. Typical training used in the treatment of obesity are general exercises, characterized by medium or low intensity, effective use of oxygen by working muscles, mobilization of large muscle groups working alternately during exercise, cyclicity and the possibility of long-term exercise without breaks. The features of general fitness exercises include, among others: Nordic walking, walking, cycling, swimming and water exercises, aerobics, dancing and much more

GET BACK IN THE GAME: SPORT, THE RECESSION AND KEEPING PEOPLE ACTIVE. ESRI Research Bulletin 2010/1/3

International research has established that the importance of physical activity for health is more serious than its role in the “obesity epidemic”, which inspires so much commentary. Physical activity reduces the risk of various cancers, coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes, and improves skeletal health. A major part of the overall physical activity of adults consists of sport and recreational physical exercise. To the extent that sports policy has the ability to increase participation in sport and exercise, there is consequently a sound justification for spending public money on it

Sport as a privilege in Spain

The reduction of Physical Education hours in the Spanish curriculum originates from a false premise: families are already aware of the importance of physical activity, and attempt to compensate for the lack of it at school with an extra schedule. It seems then, that there is an assumption that classes that are available after school are only related to physical activity: this is not the case. Furthermore, only those families that are fully aware of the consequences of their children’s inactivity, and who can (and want to) invest in those extra classes and engage in some kind of physical activity after school. But the reality is that Physical activity only is important for some families

Specific relationships between physical activity & mental health: the importance of considering gender & refining recommendations

Although there is good reason for promoting physical activity in the general public, both as preventive measure and as means of improving mental and social well-being1, physical activity promotion meant for the promotion of mental health is a rarity. Not even a simple message for the amount and type of physical activity for optimal mental health exists, and physical activity recommendations only tangentially deal with the potential of physical activity for mental health benefits. The current state of matters regarding the physical activity – mental health relationship is that the question of whether physical activity results in mental health benefits, or better mental health increases the likeliness of participation in physical activity, which in turn accounts for the research findings confirming a positive relationship between physical activity and mental health, seems impossible to answer. The direction of causality in this relationship remains undetermined, mainly because a substantial number of variables align and change in the physical activity – mental health relationship, making it much more complex than the relationship between physical activity and physical health. The aim of the present thesis was to create a more differentiated picture about the relationship between physical activity and mental health, in order to disentangle some of its great complexity, and perhaps help strengthening statements about it. The potential of physical activity to improve psychological functioning was comprehensively considered, from protecting against mental health problems to promoting self-awareness and personal growth. The thesis includes an in-depth review of the historical and current knowledge on the topics under scrutiny, and it focuses on three main coordinates on which the complexity of the physical activity – mental health relationship appears to manifest: activity domains (i.e., different types and intensities of physical activity), domains of mental health (e.g., emotional well-being, depression, anxiety, perceived stress, psychological distress, stress appraisal), and individual differences (gender differences in particular). Variations within and between these coordinates were analyzed with an epidemiological approach. Empirical hypotheses were developed based on the information derived from the extensive literature review. The thesis includes four original research articles, which are based on data from two large and representative cohorts in Belgium; one from the Belgian Health Interview Survey (B-HIS), including a total of 12,111 participants; 6,190 women (51.1%) and 5,921 men (48.9%), aged 0-99 years, representing the entire Belgian population, and another from the Flemish Policy Research Centre Sport, Physical Activity, and Health (SPAH), including 5,170 individuals; 2,746 men (53.1%) and 2,420 women (46.9%), aged 18-75 years, from 46 Flemish municipalities, representing the whole Flanders (the Northern part of Belgium). The first study differentiated between recreational and utilitarian forms of physical activity in their relation with levels of self-reported stress and distress in 1,919 adults aged 20-65 years, from the SPAH epidemiological data. Multiple Logistic Regression analyses were conducted, stratified by gender, age, and occupational category. Results were integrated in an adequate theoretical frame, resulting the proposition that although physical activities of any content may be beneficial for physical health, when targeting psychological benefits, it may perhaps be insufficient to just climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator, or to engage in housework or gardening. The discussion on the findings revealed the question of whether the importance of motivation and enjoyment of physical activity is greater regarding mental health benefits than concerning physical health benefits. The second study differentiated between physical activities of three different intensities and five components of mental health, including general (i.e., emotional well-being) and specific (i.e., depression, anxiety, somatization, and sleeping problems) components of mental health. Gender specific multiple Logistic Regression analyses were conducted in 3,435 women and in 3,368 men aged 25-64 years from the B-HIS data. Findings suggested clear gender differences in the optimal intensity levels of the physical activity that associates with better mental health. Positive associations between physical activity and mental health in men included vigorous-intensity physical activity and specific components of mental health, whereas among women, it involved moderate-intensity physical activity and walking with both general and specific components of mental health. The third study relied on previous findings suggesting that sports participation might associate stronger with mental health than other types of physical activity (e.g., Hamer et al., 2008) and on Salmon’s (2001) unifying theory on how the role of physical activity in stress management might explain the physical activity – mental health relationship. Associations between participation in personally favored types of sports and stress appraisal and emotional distress were examined separately in 783 sport participator men and in 644 sport participator women, aged 20-65 years, from the SPAH epidemiologic data. Multiple MANOVAs were conducted to analyze sport-type related variations (including 15 different types of sports) in the physical activity – mental health relationship. The findings were used in theoretical reasoning about the possible meanings that women and men might attach to their sports participation, which resulted in the presupposition that men might attach a meaning of distancing or escapism, while women might attach a meaning of developing self-awareness to participation in sports. The fourth study aimed to gather insight about the relationship between sedentary behavior and mental health, based on the physical activity – sedentary behavior, and the physical activity – mental health relationships. Variations across gender, age, socio-economic status, and participation in recommended amounts of vigorous- and moderate-intensity physical activity were analyzed in the associations between sedentary time and five components of mental health, in 6,720 adults aged 24-65years, from the BHIS data. Sedentary time and physical activity were separately measured, and examined via multiple Logistic Regression analyses; hence, the findings conveyed understanding of the potential independent mental health outcomes of sedentary behavior. The present thesis does not provide proof of the positive effects of physical activity on mental health because the cross-sectional studies could not affirm that physical activity causes improvements in mental health. However, this thesis provides substantial evidence of an important and complicated positive relationship that incontestably exists between physical activity and mental health. Further, the thesis unveils novel hypotheses about the aspects of this relationship, which, provided that they are further explored, could advance and deepen the knowledge-base in the sciences of physical activity and exercise, and in their related fields. Moreover, the thesis elucidates the relevance of the complicated physical activity – mental health relationship in an attempt to argue for recommendations that are more specific regarding the role of physical activity in mental health. Eventually, the role of the investigations presented in this thesis may be only preliminary, but nonetheless they are valuable, because cross-sectional observation of associations and patterns between behaviors and their potential outcomes may materialize in theories, which can induce new investigations that may reveal new findings, leading to better theories. Moreover, throughout these investigations, understanding can be gained about the cognitive and emotional experiences of the individual participating in sport, exercise, or physical activity, and about why and how may psychological benefits follow from these behaviors. 1. Department of Health (2001). Making it happen: a guide to delivering mental health promotion. Retrieved November 17, 2009, from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4007907. 2. Scully, D., Kremer, J., Meade, M.M., Graham, R., & Dudgeon, K. (1998). Physical exercise and psychological wellbeing: a critical review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 32, 111-120. 3. Hamer, M., Stamatakis, E., & Steptoe, A. (2008). Dose response relationship between physical activity and mental health: The Scottish Health Survey. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Published Online First: 10 April 2008. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2008.046243. 4. Salmon, P. (2001). Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: a unifying theory. Clinical PsychologyReview, 21(1), 33-61

Examination of Acute Care Nurses Ability to Engage in Patient Education Related to Physical Activity as a Health Behavior

Physical activity is important for management and prevention of chronic disease. The current physical activity guidelines recommend engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day on at least 5 days a week. Acute care settings may present opportunities for patient education about physical activity. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of acute care nurses to engage in patient education regarding physical activity as a health behavior. Additionally, this study examined the influence of level of nurse training, age, personal physical activity and years of experience on these outcomes. METHODS: Nurses from an academic medical center (N=194) were surveyed. Knowledge of current physical activity guidelines, rank of importance of physical activity as a patient care activity and a healthy lifestyle behavior, and confidence to counsel patients about physical activity were queried. RESULTS: Of nurses queried, 32.5% reported days per week and 83% reported minutes per day to engage in physical activity consistent with current guidelines. Physical activity counseling was ranked least important of ten patient care activities and fifth as a healthy lifestyle behavior. The majority of nurses (51%) felt some degree of confidence to counsel patients regarding physical activity. Baccalaureate level nurses were more likely to be consistent with physical activity guidelines than master’s level nurses. Nurses <25 years of age were more current in knowledge of physical activity guidelines than nurses ≥41 years of age. Nurses who exercised were more likely to report knowing current physical activity guidelines. Reported time spent counseling patientsregarding physical activity averaged 6 minutes per patient per day. CONCLUSION: Acute care nurses are counseling patients regarding physical activity although it is ranked least important of ten patient care activities. Future research should include studying: a variety of patient populations; other hospital settings; objective measures of evaluation; and nurses’ training regarding physical activity

Using participatory approaches with children to better understand their physical activity behaviour

Aims and objectives: The importance of childhood physical activity is widely recognised. Helping children to articulate their opinions is a crucial factor in improving their health and well-being, yet the field is predominantly focused on adult-led quantitative methods and lacks deeper understanding from a child perspective. Methods: This paper draws on experiences from a Danish study in which children depicted their physical activity behaviour in go-along group interviews in schoolyards (n = 111), and a Scottish study in which children photographed or drew meaningful places and discussed physical activity in these places (n = 25). Results: The benefits and challenges associated with using participatory methods to understand how children perceive the environment in relation to their physical activity behaviour are described. Conclusion: Findings contribute to the literature by suggesting that participatory approaches are valuable in capturing children’s perceptions of physical activity behaviour in outdoor environments

Older adults' evaluations of the standard and modified pedometer-based Green Prescription

INTRODUCTION: The Green Prescription is a primary care programme designed to increase physical activity in individuals with low activity levels. Older adults tend to engage in insufficient physical activity to obtain health-related gain. AIM: To examine participants’ ratings of the Healthy Steps intervention and to assess how participants rated the use of a pedometer-based Green Prescription in aiding their physical activity. METHODS: In total, 330 community-dwelling older adults who have low levels of activity were randomised to receive either a standard time-based Green Prescription or a modified pedometer-based Green Prescription. Post-intervention, 259 participants completed the participant evaluation questionnaire via postal survey. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared analyses. RESULTS: The standard components of the Green Prescription (general practitioner consultations and telephone counselling) received similar and higher ratings across both allocation groups than the use of print materials. A pedometer-based Green Prescription was rated as being helpful in aiding physical activity. DISCUSSION: This study supports the importance of general practitioners’ initial role in prescribing physical activity for older adults and of ongoing telephone support for longer-term adherence. Incorporating a pedometer can be effective in helping low-active older adults initiate and maintain regular physical activity