Do Hand Exercises Influence Physiological Hand Tremor? An Observational Cohort Study on Healthy Young Adults

Physiological hand tremors appear to be one of the most common types of tremors that occur during the lifespan. Activities most prominently affected by hand tremors are those involving the movement of small muscles, such as fine motor skills, which in turn could be influenced by several factors, including lateral dominance. The difference in skills due to lateral dominance is defined as inter-limb imbalance or inter-limb asymmetry. When this asymmetry is attributed to the tremor and the difference in tremor between the limbs, it could be defined as the inter-limb asymmetry of tremors. This study aimed to evaluate the acute effects of wobble-board hand exercise training on the inter-limb asymmetry of tremors. Thirty-two (eighteen males and fourteen females) participants (age: 25.2 ± 2.6 years, weight: 63.9 ± 10.5 kg, height: 1.66 ± 0.8 m, and BMI: 22.8 ± 2.3 kg/m2) were involved in the study. Before (PRE) and after (POST) the wobble-board hand exercises, postural hand tremor was evaluated using a tri-axial accelerometer fixed under the palm. Recordings were taken for 15 s. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the effects of hand exercises on inter-limb (dominant vs. non-dominant) asymmetry of tremor in testing time (PRE vs. POST) in relation to sex (male vs. female). The statistical significance was set at p p = 0.03) independently from sex while no differences were found in the POST evaluation. A significant difference emerged in the PRE evaluation for males (p = 0.04) and females (p = 0.03) in relation to the testing time and preferred hand. This difference was no longer present in the POST evaluation. In conclusion, wobble-board hand exercises could represent an effective strategy to reduce inter-limb asymmetry. These results emphasize the importance of task-specific training to maximize the reduction in inter-limb asymmetry of tremors following wobble-board hand exercises

Psychophysiological Data Harmonization for the Sustainability of Outdoor Activities

Prolonged sedentary behavior is considered a risk factor for health throughout the human lifespan. Although outdoor activities, such as walking and hiking, can be effective in reducing sedentary behavior, there is a lack of data harmonization on the psychophysiological characteristics of hiking trails. Therefore, this research protocol aims to provide an innovative and uniform methodology to provide a psychophysiological characterization of hiking. Enrolled subjects will be allocated in groups equally distributed for age, physical activity level (physically active vs. sedentary), and sex (male vs. female). Subjects will perform two treadmill tests in laboratory sessions and two hiking tests in field sessions. The Ruffier test will be performed before each session to assess subjects’ exercise capacity. During each session, body mass measurement, cardiometabolic evaluation, heart rate and heart rate variability monitoring, rating of perceived exertion, and physical activity enjoyment rate will be assessed. To measure breath-by-breath ventilation, oxygen consumption, and energy expenditure, subjects will be equipped with a portable gas analyzer during one laboratory session and one field session. Findings from the present study protocol have the potential to fill a gap in assessing hiking-related fitness, promoting physical and mental health, and offering a practical way to evaluate fitness for hiking, encouraging outdoor activity. These findings will have the potential to impact tourism, health, and well-being through outdoor experiences