Health-related Physical Fitness Research Articles

Effect of exercise intervention using mobile healthcare on blood lipid level and health-related physical fitness in obese women: a randomized controlled trial.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of 12 weeks of non-face-to-face exercise intervention using mobile health (mHealth) on blood lipid levels and health-related physical fitness in obese women. Thirty obese women (aged: 39.40 ± 11.07 years, percent body fat: 37.05 ± 5.15%) were enrolled, and all completed the study. Non-face-to-face exercises were performed for 12 weeks using a mHealth and smart tracker (Charge 4, Fitbit, USA). Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental (EXP) or control (CON) group. The 12-week exercise program using mHealth included resistance (twice a week for 60 min), aerobics (five times a week for 50 min), and flexibility (five times a week for 10 min). The results showed that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Post - Pre: 9.07 mg·dL-1, p < 0.001) and ratio of low-density to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Post - Pre: -0.71 mg·dL-1, p < 0.05) significantly changed during the intervention period in EXP. There were significant increases in sit-ups (Post - Pre: 7.73 numbers, p < 0.001), grip strength (Post - Pre: 2.92 kg, p < 0.001), and sit and reach (Post - Pre: 2.51 cm, p < 0.01) in EXP. Non-face-to-face exercise using mHealth for 12 weeks improved blood lipid levels and health-related physical fitness; therefore, it can help improve compliance through self-monitoring and lifestyle changes by increasing physical activity.

Establishment of health related physical fitness evaluation system for school adolescents aged 12-16 in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study.

The decline in adolescent physical fitness is a significant global public health concern, and Pakistan is no exception. The country's absence of a health-related physical fitness (HRPF) evaluation system has compounded this issue. To bridge this gap, this study aims to develop a scientifically-based HRPF evaluation system for the adolescent population that meets international standards. The evaluation system identifies at-risk children and improves adolescent health outcomes, including obesity, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders, chronic diseases, and psychological illnesses, through crucial physical fitness evaluation. This study specifically aims to establish an HRPF evaluation system for school adolescents aged 12-16 in Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,970 school adolescents aged 12-16 years in the South Punjab, Pakistan. The study used a stratified sampling technique to select participants. The HRPF evaluation system included four components: cardiorespiratory endurance, core muscular endurance, muscular strength, and body composition. Data were collected through standardized tests and anthropometric measurements. The study's results indicated that the HRPF evaluation scoring system was feasible and valid for evaluating the HRPF of school adolescents in the South Punjab region of Pakistan. The results of the evaluation system categorized participants into five groups based on their performance: excellent (6.2%), good (24.9%), medium (50.7%), poor (17%), and very poor (1.2%). The study establishes an HRPF evaluation system for Pakistani school adolescents. This system lays the foundation for implementing effective strategies to improve their physical health. The findings offer valuable insights to policymakers, health professionals, and educators, enabling them to promote fitness and devise impactful interventions for enhancing HRPF in this population.

Effectiveness of an Outdoor Education Program with Homeschool Students

Compared to their public-school peers, homeschool students are less physically active, perform worse in health-related physical fitness tests, and have poorer body composition status (Kabiri et al., 2017; Kabiri et al., 2020; Long et al., 2010; Tribby & Berrigan, 2021). The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of an outdoor education program (OEP) on homeschool adolescents’ physical fitness level and life skills. Homeschool students were recruited to participate in a nine-week OEP that included activities such as hiking and mountain biking and a pre- and post-test to assess physical fitness and life skills. Descriptive and inferential (e.g., paired-samples t-tests) statistics were used to analyze the resulting data. Findings reveal that male homeschool students self-report higher levels of life skills and that the OEP had a greater positive impact on males’ fitness outcomes. Recommendations for OEP practitioners include developing OEPs that increase the frequency and decrease the duration of physical activity time and emphasize skills such as emotional control. Recommendations for future research are to utilize large, diverse sample sizes and to consider at-home activities that may influence variables of interest.

Physical Fitness and Body Mass Index Status of Hong Kong Primary Schoolchildren across the COVID-19 Pandemic, before and after School Closure

To determine whether health-related physical fitness and body mass index (BMI) status differed before and after school closure from the COVID-19 pandemic in a population-based cohort of Hong Kong primary schoolchildren. We examined the BMI z score, BMI status, and physical fitness z scores including (i) upper limb muscle strength, (ii) 1-minute sit-up test, (iii) sit-and-reach test, and (iv) endurance run tests, among 3 epochs: prepandemic (September 2018-August 2019), before school closure (September 2019-January 2020), and partial school reopening (September 2021-August 2022), using a repeated cross-sectional approach. A total of 137 752 primary schoolchildren aged 6-12 years were recruited over 3 academic years. Obesity increased significantly from 25.9% in 2018/19 to 31.0% in 2021/22, while underweight increased slightly from 6.1% to 6.5%. All tested parameters were adversely affected by the pandemic. The negative trend over time was far more pronounced in all 4 physical fitness scores in the underweight group, although performance in handgrip strength had no significance between 2018/19 and 2021/22. Schoolchildren who are both underweight and overweight/obese are vulnerable to adverse changes in physical fitness during the COVID-19 pandemic. To eliminate the negative health and fitness outcomes, it is urgent to develop strategies for assisting schoolchildren in achieving a healthy weight, especially in the postpandemic era.

Association of liver function with health-related physical fitness: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn this study, by analyzing the correlation between various components of health-related physical fitness (HPF) and liver function indicators, the indicators of physical fitness that were highly correlated with liver function and could be monitored at home were screened to prevent more serious liver disease in the future, and to provide experimental basis for prescribing personalized exercise.MethodsA total of 330 faculties (female = 198) of a university were recruited. The indicators of HPF and liver function were measured. Spearman correlation analysis, multivariate linear regression, and cross-lagged panel model was used to data statistics.ResultsIn males, body fat (BF) was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT); vital capacity and the vital capacity index were positively correlated with albumin; and vertical jump was positively correlated with globulin and negatively correlated with the albumin-globulin ratio (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant correlation among all indicators controlled confounding factors. In females, BF was negatively correlated with direct bilirubin; VO2max was positively correlated with indirect bilirubin; and vertical jump was positively correlated with the albumin-globulin ratio and significantly negatively correlated with globulin (P < 0.05). Controlled confounding factors, body fat percentage was positively correlated with globulin (β = 0.174) and negatively correlated with direct bilirubin (β = –0.431), and VO2max was positively correlated with indirect bilirubin (β = 0.238, P < 0.05). Cross-lagged panel analysis showed that BF percentage can negatively predict direct bilirubin levels with great significance (β = -0.055, P < 0.05).ConclusionsHPF may play a crucial role in liver function screening, particularly for female faculty members. For males, BF, vertical jump, vital capacity and vital capacity index could be associated with liver function but are susceptible to complex factors such as age, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension. In females, BF percentage is an important predictor of abnormal liver function in addition to VO2max and vertical jump, which are not affected by complex factors.

Adaptation of the International Fitness Scale and Self-Perceived Health-Related Physical Fitness Questionnaire into Turkish.

This study aims to investigate the Turkish validity and reliability of the International Fitness Scale (IFIS) and the Self-Perceived Health-Related Physical Fitness Questionnaire for Children (SPHQ-C) aged 10-17. The measurement tools were translated into Turkish by two independent researchers and back-translated. Then, the content validity was established with a group of 13 individuals (Sample 1) who presented to the sports medicine clinic. The pilot application phase was initiated. A sample of 372 individuals (Sample 2) studying in the provincial center was selected for piloting the measurement tools with the ALPHA-FIT Test Battery. The test-retest application of the measurement tools with a 15-day interval was carried out with 207 individuals (Sample 3) not included in Sample 2. The authors calculated that the content validity ratio values for the items in the IFIS ranged from 0.85 to 1.00, with a content validity index of 0.94 for the scale. In the SPHQ-C, these values were found to be between 0.92 and 1.00, with a content validity index of 0.99. According to the Z-score difference analysis for both measurement tools, the construct validity of all items was achieved (p < 0.05). In the Bland-Altman plot test conducted for the IFIS-TR, the mean difference was calculated as 0.11, the standard deviation of the differences was 1.57, and the p-value was determined as 0.31. For the SPHQ-C-TR, the mean difference was -0.15, the standard deviation of the differences was 1.95, and the p-value was determined as 0.26. The Kappa coefficients for the items of the IFIS-TR ranged from 0.45 to 0.52, while for the SPHQ-C-TR, the Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.47 to 0.75. Confirmatory factor analysis conducted on Sample 2 confirmed model fit indices with covariance among some items of the measurement tools (IFIS-TR: e1-e3; SPHQ-C-TR: e1-e2, e1-e3, e2-e3, e3-e4, e6-e7, e8-e9). The IFIS and SPHQ-C measurement tools have been adapted into Turkish, and their validity and reliability have been established.

The Effect Of Daily Physical Education On Health-related Physical Fitness Among Hungarian Youth

The Effect Of Daily Physical Education On Health-related Physical Fitness Among Hungarian Youth

Comparing Health-related Physical Fitness In College Students Pre And Post Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Comparing Health-related Physical Fitness In College Students Pre And Post Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown

야외 운동기구를 활용한 서킷트레이닝이 저 체력 학생의 건강체력 및 신체적 자기효능감에 미치는 영향

The purposes of this study are to plan a circuit training exercise program with outdoor exercise equipment on physical fitness and physical self-efficacy. among the 1st grade male students of T High School in Gimpo City, 40 students lowphysical strength were the subjects of the study. The findings were as follows: First, the students engaged in self-directed physical activities by devising a specific instructional plan for circuit training exercise and concrete circuit practice methods and participating in them for themselves to promote their health-related physical fitness; secondly, the circuit training exercise program stimulated the students' internal participation motivation and encouraged them to improve their health-related physical fitness in muscular strength, power, flexibility, and cardiopulmonary endurance; and finally, the circuit training exercise program helped the students shake off the stereotype that exercise was tiresome and hard, change their perception of exercise as an easy and fun activity, and improve their physical self-efficacy.

Effects of Stair-Climbing Exercise on Health-Related Physical Fitness Measures in Children with Developmental Disabilities

Effects of Stair-Climbing Exercise on Health-Related Physical Fitness Measures in Children with Developmental Disabilities

Health-Related Physical Fitness Variables and Students’ Holistic Development

The study aimed to identify the relationship between health-related physical fitness variable to the holistic development of learners in St. John Parochial School in Tiaong, Quezon. The result shows that there is significant relationship between the student-respondents demographic profile and their holistic development. The student’s age has a positive significant relationship with the emotional attributes. Likewise, positive significant relationship is depicted from student’s grade level and their physical, social, and emotional attributes. Positive significant relationship is also present in the number of days students exercise to the physical and social attributes. However, there is no significant relationship present at student’s gender and BMI to any of their holistic development. Furthermore, there is a positive significant relationship between the health-related physical fitness in terms of cardio-vascular endurance, strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination and student’s holistic development in terms of physical, social, mental and emotional attributes.

Components of health-related physical fitness and physical-sport content of leisure

Components of health-related physical fitness and physical-sport content of leisure

Implementation of a Community-Based Mind-Body (Tae-Bo) Physical Activity Programme on Health-Related Physical Fitness in Rural Black Overweight and Obese Women with Manifest Risk Factors for Multimorbidity.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death globally, particularly impacting low- and middle-income countries and rural dwellers. Therefore, this programme aimed to investigate if a community-based mind-body PA programme implemented in a low-resource setting could improve health-related physical fitness outcomes. Black overweight or obese adult women (25 ± 4.7 years) with a body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg·m-2 recruited from a rural settlement in South Africa with manifest risk factors for multimorbidity were assigned to a 10-week waiting-to-treat non-exercising control group (n = 65) or a community-based mind-body programme (n = 60) consisting of 45-60 min, thrice-weekly Tae-Bo. The intervention resulted in significant (p ≤ 0.05) improvements in body weight (p = 0.043), BMI (p = 0.037), and waist (p = 0.031) and hip circumferences (p = 0.040). Flexibility was found to be significantly increased at mid- and post-programme (p = 0.033 and p = 0.025, respectively) as was static balance (mid: p = 0.022; post: p = 0.019), hand grip strength (mid: p = 0.034; post: p = 0.029), sit-up performance (mid: p = 0.021; post: p = 0.018), and cardiorespiratory endurance (mid: p = 0.017; post: p = 0.011). No significant change was found in sum of skinfolds following the programme (p = 0.057). Such a community-based mind-body programme presents an opportunity to level health inequalities and positively improve health-related physical fitness in low-resource communities irrespective of the underlying barriers to participation.

Associations between Smoking Status and Health-Related Physical Fitness and Balance Ability among Older Males in Taiwan.

The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationships between smoking status and health-related physical fitness and balance ability in older males residing in Taiwan. This investigation adopted a cross-sectional design, utilizing data from 7688 older males who took part in the 2014-2015 wave of the National Physical Fitness Survey of Taiwan. Various data sources, including a standardized structured questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, health-related physical fitness assessments, and balance ability tests, were analyzed. The participants were divided into three categories based on their smoking habits: never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers. Multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate the linear association between cigarette smoking status and health-related physical fitness and balance ability performance. Health-related physical fitness and balance performance were significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the never smoker group than in the current smoker group. Current smoking status was significantly negatively (p < 0.05) associated with cardiopulmonary function, muscular endurance, flexibility, and balance performance. A history of smoking (former smoker) was significantly negatively (p < 0.05) associated with the 2-min step test, 30-s arm curl and chair stand, as well as the 8-foot up-and-go test; however, the association was not significant for the back scratch, chair sit-and-reach, and one-leg stance with eyes open performance. These results suggest that current cigarette smoking is detrimental to health-related physical fitness and balance performance in older males. Quitting smoking may reverse the effects of smoking on overall body flexibility and static balance performance in Taiwanese older adults, thereby reducing the risk of falls and incapacity.

Effects of Circuit Exercise Training Intervention on Health- Related Physical Fitness and Biomarkers for the Elderly People with Cardiovascular Diseases

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week circuit exercise intervention on the health-related physical fitness and biomarkers of elderly with cardiovascular diseases. Sixty-seven subjects participated in the study, included stretching, aerobic, and resistance training. Pre- and post-examination blood testing and fitness testing. Paired samples t-tests, and correlation analysis were used to analyse the data. Results showed that subjects were overweight and had medium risk levels of infection for cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular and strength performance improved, but sit-up performance was lower than the norm. Total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure improved, but systolic blood pressure remained at a pre-hypertension level. The intervention had a significant positive effect on health-related physical fitness and biomarkers with medium risk cluster of cardiovascular diseases, and there was a high correlation between the two. BMI had a positive correlation with biomarker index and cardiovascular fitness, while agility andflexibility had a negative correlation.

Health-Related Physical Fitness and its Relationship to the Level of Academic Achievement among A Sample of Secondary School Students in the City of Amman

This research set out to determine whether or not there was a correlation between students' levels of health-related physical fitness and their academic performance in Amman, the capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. An independent sample of (841) male pupils from Amman's public schools was used for the research. Their anthropometric data were used to quantify health-related physical fitness, and the school average was culled from students' final grades. The results showed that the study sample was split into six categories based on their level of health-related physical fitness, that there was a direct correlation between health-related physical fitness and academic achievement at the 0.001 level, and that the average percentage of body fat was 25.29%. In light of the findings, the researcher concluded that there is a direct and close relationship between the level of health-related physical fitness and the academic achievement among secondary school students. This is because the negative effects of a high percentage of fat and low physical fitness are not confined to the public health; rather, they extend to a low level of academic achievement and the associated psychological problems among students. As participating in sports has been shown to improve kids' health, mental well-being, social skills, and academic performance, the study's author suggests ramping up the number of sports offered to Amman's school students.

Differential effects of a 12-week aerobic exercise program on health-related physical fitness, physiological and biochemical markers among obese adults: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: work out is an valuable approach for improving standard of living physiological, biochemical, and physical strength in obese patients; though, few researches have mainly focal point on early survival rates, minorities, in physically passive men, and overweight men, or examined individual &amp; combined workout plan and measured body composition markers.&#x0D; Objective: In this research we have describes the effect of a 12-week different aerobic exercise involvement on obese people's self-reported result, physical strength, physiological and biochemical markers in ethnically mixed, physically motionless, obese adults.&#x0D; Methods: Total (n = 60) male adults with obese (Mean ± SD; age: 18.92 ± 1.54 yrs.; height: 172.4 ± 5.4 cm.; weight: 84.4 ± 6.3 kg) were randomly allocated into three equal (n = 20) groups: Step Aerobic Exercise Training (SAET), Floor Aerobic Exercise Training (FAET) or a control group. The SAET &amp; FAET training protocol has been performed three days of a week during period of study (12 weeks). All the selected variables of physical fitness, physiological and biochemical markers have been examined at baseline and 12 weeks. Group under control have been found not performing workout.&#x0D; Results: The exercise program SAET &amp; FAET significantly improved in muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular endurance, vital capacity, and breath holding time (p &lt; 0.05). The workout schedule reduced significantly % body fat, mean resting pulse rate, respiratory rate and arterial blood pressure, (p &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, the lipids levels of total triglycerides, cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein have been reduced significantly in SAET &amp; FAET, high density lipoprotein enhance significantly (p &lt; 0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: Research’s finding advocate that 12-weeks regular SAET &amp; FAET protocols have greater effects than control group on physical fitness of health related, physiological and biochemical variables in obese male adult individuals.

Formative assessment of children's learning results in physical culture lessons in New Ukrainian School

The thesis analysed modern methodical approaches to the assessment of educational achievements of students in physical education lessons at the New Ukrainian School at various stages of education. The main determinants had identified of the activity of the physical culture teacher in relation to the organization of formative assessment&#x0D; Furthermore, in the process of work, it had found that the barriers to the wider use of formative assessment are: the discrepancy between formative assessment and final tests, which are designed to ensure the accountability of schools regarding the educational achievements of students; the lack of consistency between assessment and evaluation at the school and classroom levels and the perception that formative assessment is too resource-intensive and time-consuming to be practical.&#x0D; The methodology of formative assessment techniques is justified. Assessment in physical education is carried out in the following areas: cognitive domain - what students know and understand; health-related physical fitness - improvement of physical fitness levels; psychomotor skills - what students can do and perform; affective domain - attitudes and beliefs towards the subject. It is noted that assessment in the affective domain involves: identifying behaviors; communicating actions (indicators) that are acceptable for students to meet the expectations regarding the assessed characteristics/behavior; using checklists, rating scales, journals, event records, exit slips, written tests. General behavioral characteristics include: effort (willingness to participate); fair play (sportsmanship); readiness to cooperate (teamwork). These characteristics may have different significance for different individuals, so it is the teacher who decides which characteristics/behaviors are most important for the lessons.

Conditioning Training towards the Development of Physical Fitness among Junior High School Athletes

The achievement of student-athletes in various sports is often linked to the rigor of training that prepares them for competitions and enhances their physical fitness. Thus, this study determined the relationship between the engagement in conditioning training of a random sample of 76 junior high school student-athletes to the development of their physical fitness along health-related and skill-related physical fitness components. The researcher employed a descriptive correlational study through the administration of a researcher-made questionnaire and a Revised Physical Fitness Test by the Department of Education. Collected data were gathered, tabulated, interpreted, and treated using frequency count, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson r. The study revealed that the student-athletes were mostly of normal Body Mass Index (BMI), engaged in team sports, had been athletes for 4 to 5 years, and participated in competitions within the division level. They were highly engaged in conditioning training which enhanced the development of their physical fitness as affirmed by the computed r-values when these variables were paired for correlation. This study calls for revitalized conditioning training through innovations and engagement in co-curricular and extra-curricular focusing on health-related and skill-related physical fitness. This revitalization can be incorporated into the athletic program to ensure continuous sports achievements and enhancement of the physical fitness of student-athletes. Keywords – conditioning training, physical fitness, sports, student-athletes.

Effectiveness of exergames programme to modify body composition and health-related physical fitness in adolescents with down syndrome after COVID-19 quarantine

ABSTRACT Aims: to determine the effect of a 20-week exergame program on different indicators of body composition and components of health-related physical fitness in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods and Procedures Outcomes: 49 adolescents (19 female and 30 males; average age, 14.19 ± 2.06 years) with Down syndrome were recruited and randomized to two groups (control group vs. intervention group). Adolescents allocated in the control group carried out a physical activity program three times a week for 20 weeks meanwhile adolescents allocated in the exercise group performed an exergame program three times a week for 20 weeks. Results: The exercise group had significant improvements in all health-related physical fitness variables and there is an improvement in some body composition variables (p < 0.05). Conclusions and Implications: 20 week exergame program consisting of 3 sessions of 60 minutes is able to improve levels of body composition and health-related physical fitness in adolescents with Down syndrome. Highlights Research in body composition and health-related physical fitness of people with Down syndrome has revealed that an exergame programme increases levels of health-related physical fitness in adolescents with Down syndrome An exergame programme can improve differences in markers of body composition between the control group and the intervention group The intervention group that performed the exergame programme showed increases in health-related physical fitness levels after 20 weeks of intervention. The control group that performed a based on developing motor behaviour programme did not show differences in body composition or health-related physical fitness after 20 weeks of intervention.