Weekday and weekend moderate to vigorous physical activity of young musicians in the context of public health recommendations.

Introduction: Physical activity is very important for the proper mental and physical development of children and youths, especially for the development of the locomotor system. The students of music schools are a unique group of children and youths, because of specific loads on the organs of locomotion, associated with the playing of musical instruments. They can therefore be exposed to a variety of health problems, particularly in the case of insufficient physical activity. Objective: The aim of the presented study was to assess the level of physical activity of music schools’ students on weekdays and weekends against the parameters of physical efforts beneficial to health. Method and materials: The study involved 225 musicians from the Katowice School of Music, Complex of I and II degrees, aged 10–18 years(138 girls and 87 boys). The level of physical activity was assessed on the basis of moderate to vigorous rates (MVPA). Results: Both on weekdays as well as at the weekends, boys presented a higher level of physical activity of at least moderate intensity (MVPA), which also resulted in a greater total weekly pro-health physical activity. Both boys and girls dedicated significantly more time to beneficial pro-health efforts physical health at weekends (p<0.01). The percentage of young musicians who meet accepted (in this study) standards for the optimal amount of physical activity in both groups was dramatically low (3.6% of girls and 11.5% of boys). Conclusion: Both boys and girls from the music schools often undertake moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at the weekends. The boys more often than the girls made pro-health physical efforts of moderate and high intensity

Health-oriented physical activity in prevention of musculoskeletal disorders among young Polish musicians

Objectives: Musicians represent a very specific professional group, which due to some occupational hazards is exposed to different health problems known as playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs). The aim of this study was to assess correlations between the level of physical activity, and the occurrence of musculoskeletal pain among young instrumentalists. Materials and Methods: Total of 225 Polish musical school students were investigated. To assess the study participants' physical activity level, the moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) index was used. To assess pain complaints on the side of the musculoskeletal system, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was applied. The NMQ questionnaire was complemented by adding a visual-analog scale (VAS), which also allowed to assess pain intensity on a numerical scale 1-10. Results: The pain localized in neck, shoulders, upper and lower back was reported significantly more often by the participants who did not meet standard criteria for the recommended or minimal physical activity level. Conclusion: Performing the recommended health-oriented physical activity may reduce the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in young musicians

Contact Karate Promotes Post-Exercise Hypotension in Young Adult Males

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, systemic arterial hypertension is a leading cause of death and non-communicable cardiovascular disease. A major factor contributing to this disease is a sedentary lifestyle. However, physical exercise, such as martial arts, may be an option for blood pressure (BP) control. The magnitude of post-exercise hypotension is associated with a prolonged decrease in BP in normotensive and hypertensive individuals. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to verify the effects of a Contact Karate (CK) session on BP responses during a post-exercise recovery period in young adults. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-two male CK athletes volunteered (28.2 ± 6.7 years; 77.0 ± 5.7 kg; and 176.0 ± 4.7 cm) and underwent one CK session (50 minutes) and a control session in which no exercise was performed and the individuals remain seated during the whole time. BP was measured during rest (before sessions), as well as on the 15th, 30th, 45th, and 60th minutes of the post-exercise recovery. RESULTS: The systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were significantly lower at the post-exercise period compared to pre-exercise rest (P < 0.05), with the largest reductions being observed at the 60th minutes of recovery [SBP (rest: 125.9 ± 4.7 vs. 60th minutes of recovery: 111.7 ± 5.4 mmHg); DBP (rest: 78.8 ± .7 vs. 60th minutes of recovery: 69.8 ± 2.7 mmHg)] and at the same periods of post-exercise recovery of the control session. CONCLUSIONS: A single CK session can promote a decrease in BP for at least 60 minutes after performing this type of exercise in young adults