Increase In Vigorous Activity Research Articles

"Movement-enhancing footpaths" - A natural experiment on street design and physical activity in children in a deprived district of Leipzig, Germany.

Despite the beneficial effects of physical activity (PA), only 26% of children in Germany meet the WHO’s recommendations. Because active play contributes to PA and is accepted by families, the creation of “playable” environments could promote PA. This study is a natural experiment that was conducted to investigate whether slight changes in the physical environment can increase PA in children. In autumn 2016, 140 students from two primary schools located in a deprived district of Leipzig (Germany) gathered ideas on PA-promoting street designs. After protracted negotiations with the city administration, two footpaths were decorated with colored markings (hopscotch grids, labyrinths, “mirror me”) in September 2019. 48 observations were made before (August 2019) and after (September/October 2019) the implementation using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC). Age, gender, activity level, bike use, and interactions with the colored markings were recorded. A total of 5455 individuals (including 1099 cyclists) were observed. Almost one fifth of the observed children (0 to 12 years) interacted with the markings. There was a slight increase in vigorous activity in all observed individuals after the implementation (2.9% vs. 6.4%, p < 0.001). The chance for vigorous activity was higher on decorated footpaths (OR 2.45, CI 1.54–3.89, p < 0.001), for children (OR 19.32, CI 13.07–28.56, p < 0.001), and on Sundays (OR 3.39, CI 2.33–4.94, p < 0.001). The participatory development and design of footpaths that support spontaneous active play “on the way” might be one component that can be used to support changes in children’s PA behaviors and social interactions.

Are Exercise Referral Schemes Associated With an Increase in Physical Activity? Observational Findings Using Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis From the National Referral Database

To examine if exercise referral schemes (ERSs) are associated with meaningful changes in physical activity in a large cohort of individuals throughout England, Scotland, and Wales from The National Referral Database. Data were obtained from 5246 participants from 12 different ERSs, lasting 6-12 weeks. The preexercise referral scheme and changes from the preexercise to the postexercise referral scheme in self-reported International Physical Activity Questionnaire scores were examined. A 2-stage individual patient data meta-analysis was used to generate the effect estimates. For the pre-ERS metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes per week, the estimate (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 676MET minutes per week (539 to 812). For the change in MET minutes per week, the estimate (95% CI) was an increase of 540MET minutes per week (396 to 684). Changes in the total PA levels occurred as a result of increases in vigorous activity of 17 minutes (95% CI, 9 to 24), increases in moderate activity of 29minutes (95% CI, 22 to 36), and reductions in sitting of -61minutes (95% CI, -78 to -43), though little change in walking (-5min; 95% CI, -14 to 5) was found. Most participants undergoing ERSs are already "moderately active." Changes in PA behavior associated with participation are through increased moderate to vigorous PA and reduced sitting. However, this was insufficient to change the International Physical Activity Questionnaire category, and the participants were still "moderately active."

Temporal changes in physiological and performance responses across game-specific simulated basketball activity

PurposeThe aims of this study were to: (1) provide a comprehensive physiological profile of simulated basketball activity and (2) identify temporal changes in player responses in controlled settings. MethodsState-level male basketball players (n = 10) completed 4 × 10 min simulated quarters of basketball activity using a reliable and valid court-based test. A range of physiological (ratings of perceived exertion, blood lactate concentration ([BLa−]), blood glucose concentration ([BGlu]), heart rate (HR), and hydration) and physical (performance and fatigue indicators for sprint, circuit, and jump activity) measures were collected across testing. ResultsSignificantly reduced [BLa−] (6.19 ± 2.30 vs. 4.57 ± 2.33 mmol/L; p = 0.016) and [BGlu] (6.91 ± 1.57 vs. 5.25 ± 0.81 mmol/L; p = 0.009) were evident in the second half. A mean HR of 180.1 ± 5.7 beats/min (90.8% ± 4.0% HRmax) was observed, with a significant increase in vigorous activity (77%–95% HRmax) (11.31 ± 6.91 vs. 13.50 ± 6.75 min; p = 0.024) and moderate decrease in near-maximal activity (>95% HRmax) (7.24 ± 7.45 vs. 5.01 ± 7.20 min) in the second half. Small increases in performance times accompanied by a significantly lower circuit decrement (11.67% ± 5.55% vs. 7.30% ± 2.16%; p = 0.032) were apparent in the second half. ConclusionThese data indicate basketball activity imposes higher physiological demands than previously thought and temporal changes in responses might be due to adapted pacing strategies as well as fatigue-mediated mechanisms.

Systematic Observation of Physical Activity in Afterschool Programs: Preliminary Findings From Movin’ Afterschool Intervention

National and state organizations have called upon afterschool programs (3-6 PM, ASP) to promote physical activity (PA). Few strategies exist that ASPs can use to increase the PA of children enrolled. This study evaluated a policy-level intervention (Movin' Afterschool, MAS) designed to increase PA through staff implemented policy-level changes and ongoing technical support. Twelve preexisting community-based ASPs serving 580 children (5-12 yrs, 57% girls) were invited to take part in MAS. Evaluation of children's PA, staff behaviors (engaged or promote PA, other ASP tasks, general supervising), and environmental features (equipment, organized PA) at baseline (Fall 2010) and postassessment (Spring 2011) were collected using SOPLAY (System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth) for boys and girls, separately. Random effects models evaluated changes in PA categories (sedentary, walking, vigorous). The percentage of boys and girls sedentary decreased by 11.8% and 11.4%, respectively. Girls' walking increased by 6.9% while boys' vigorous PA increased by 6.5%. Greater increases in vigorous activity were observed as postassessment in organized activities for boys and during indoor activities for girls. Findings indicate a policy-level approach targeting staff training and ongoing technical support can produce notable increases in PA within the ASP setting.

Low vitamin D status is associated with physical inactivity, obesity and low vitamin D intake in a large US sample of healthy middle-aged men and women

The aim of this study was to investigate modifiable predictors of vitamin D status in healthy individuals, aged 55–74, and living across the USA. Vitamin D status [serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)] was measured along with age and season at blood collection, demographics, anthropometry, physical activity (PA), diet, and other lifestyle factors in 1357 male and 1264 female controls selected from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) cohort. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations with vitamin D status. Three%, 29% and 79% of the population had serum 25(OH)D levels <25, <50 and <80 nmol/L, respectively. The major modifiable predictors of low vitamin D status were low vitamin D dietary and supplement intake, body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m 2, physical inactivity (PA) and low milk and calcium supplement intake. In men, 25(OH)D was determined more by milk intake on cereal and in women, by vitamin D and calcium supplement and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) use. Thus targeting an increase in vigorous activity and vitamin D and calcium intake and decreasing obesity could be public health interventions independent of sun exposure to improve vitamin D status in middle-aged Americans.

Base rates of physical activity in Australians with schizophrenia.

To determine the patterns of physical activity in Australians with schizophrenia and compare them to the general Australian population. People with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia (n=125) provided self-report BMI data and descriptions of the type, intensity, and duration of their physical activity during the previous week. This data was compared to population norms from the Active Australia Survey. The Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) and Kessler-10 (K-10) were used to screen for the presence and severity of psychopathology and functional disturbance. Excess body weight was more prevalent in study participants than the general population with 70% being over-weight or obese. Half of the sample participated in sufficient physical activity in the previous week, a proportion similar to the general Australian population. The study participants reported more sessions of walking and moderate activity than the general population, but less time in vigorous activity. There were no differences between participants who had engaged in sufficient physical activity and those who did not, on BMI and psychological distress. Despite similar levels of physical activity to the general population, more of the people with schizophrenia were overweight. This suggests that their current activity levels may be insufficient to counteract other causes of excess weight such as diet and medication side effects. If replicated, these data suggest that weight control through exercise for people with schizophrenia will require either a substantial increase in vigorous activity or an overall activity level that exceeds the general population norm.

Physical activity, body mass index, and ovulatory disorder infertility.

Few studies have examined whether activity and adiposity levels typical of American women affect their risk of ovulatory disorder infertility, and none has examined moderate and vigorous intensity exercise separately. We investigated these associations in the Nurses' Health Study II, comparing prospectively collected data on adiposity and activity for 830 cases of incident ovulatory infertility and 26,125 pregnancies. We observed a U-shaped association between body mass index (BMI) and relative risk of ovulatory infertility, with increased risk for BMI below 20.0 or above 24.0 kg/m2. On the basis of the BMI distribution of U.S. women, these findings suggest that 12% (95% confidence interval = 7-20%) of ovulatory infertility in the U.S. may be attributable to underweight (BMI <20.0) and 25% (95% CI = 20-31%) to overweight (BMI > or = 25.0). An increase in vigorous activity (but not moderate activity) was associated with reduced relative risk of ovulatory infertility. Each hour per week of vigorous activity was associated with a 7% (95% CI = 4-10%) lower relative risk of ovulatory infertility. After adjustment for BMI, a 5% (95% CI = 2-8%) reduction in relative risk per hour of weekly activity remained. These data suggest that, among American women, more ovulatory infertility is attributable to overweight and a sedentary lifestyle than to underweight and overexertion.