Sedentary Adolescents Research Articles

Impact of the “Planning to be Active” Leisure Time Physical Exercise Program on Rural High School Students

Purpose The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of a Social Cognitive Theory-based intervention designed to increase the frequency of leisure time planned moderate and vigorous physical exercise among rural high school students attending physical education class. Methods Students in treatment and comparison groups were exposed to an activity-based physical education curricula. The treatment group received eight behavioral skill-building lessons integrated into the existing curriculum. Results The Social Cognitive Theory-based educational treatment increased levels of moderate physical exercise occurring outside the classroom. Conclusions This study demonstrated an impact on adolescent leisure time moderate physical exercise using classroom instruction. The intervention was most effective with students who were previously sedentary. The curricular approaches used to promote regular moderate exercise may be useful for sedentary adolescents.

Adolescent Participation and Flow in Physically Active Leisure and Electronic Media Activities: Testing the Displacement Hypothesis

The relationships between participation in various types of electronic media and time spent on other leisure activities have not been examined to any great extent and the research findings in the reported studies have been mixed. In this article, research is described in which 219 adolescents’ electronic media use (TV/video watching, computer/video game playing and Internet/web surfing) was monitored using a time use survey and the experiential sampling method. Behavioral and experiential data were analyzed with a particular focus on the impact of electronic media use on participation in physically active leisure. The findings were consistent with the “displacement” hypothesis. Those adolescents who engaged in higher levels of electronic media activities, in particular, TV/video watching and computer/video game playing, not only reported lower levels of physically active leisure but had more free time as a result of displacing non-leisure activities such as homework. While the overall patterns were similar for females and males, TV/video viewing among females and computer/video gaming among males created the greatest displacement in physically active leisure. More sedentary adolescents not only engaged in less physically active leisure but when they did participate they were less likely to experience intrinsically rewarding flow, and consequently, the psychological growth opportunities it provides.

An Eight-week Exercise Programme Improves Physical Fitness of Sedentary Female Adolescents

Summary Background and purpose This study investigated the effects of an eight-week supervised circuit-training programme with moderate intensity on the physical fitness of sedentary female adolescents. Methods Thirty healthy females aged 14-18 years volunteered for the study. Subjects were randomly assigned into exercise (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The exercise group received 60 minutes of supervised circuit-exercise training twice a week for eight weeks. Subjects in the control group did not receive any training throughout the study period. Measurements were taken before the programme and at the end of weeks 4 and 8, which included resting heart rate, skin-fold thickness, body mass, sit-and-reach excursion, and number of sit-ups performed in one minute. Results and Findings There were no significant changes in any of the measurements in the control group. The training group had improved sit-up performance (P Conclusion Sixty minutes of moderate exercise training twice a week for four weeks can effectively reduce body mass and improve muscular strength of the trunk for sedentary female adolescents. Further improvements are possible with a further four weeks of training.

Gender Differences in Perceived Fitness Disappear When Exercise Activity Is Standardized

Participation in sport is an important correlate of perceptions of physical competence, with physically active adolescents having more favorable perceptions than sedentary adolescents. Exercise activity has not, however, been standardized in earlier studies in which girls have consistently scored lower than boys in measures of perceived physical competence. The purpose of this study is to examine gender differences in perceived fitness among adolescents in relation to exercise activity during a four-year follow-up. The participants (n=88) were divided into sedentary (20 girls, 15 boys), physically active (10 girls, 20 boys), and highly active (8 girls, 15 boys) groups. Perceived physical competence was measured by Lintunen’s Perceived Fitness Scale. Data were analyzed using one-and twoway analyses of variance and the least significant difference test. No differences were found in perceived fitness between the girls and boys in any activity group at any age. More physically active groups showed higher perceived fitness among both sexes than the sedentary group when measured at the ages 11,12,13,14, and 15. I concluded that physical activity level is more important than gender as a determinant of perceived physical competence. Boys are, on the average, more actively involved in exercise than girls. This may be the reason that they have consistently scored higher in measures of perceived physical competence.

Aerobic responses to walking training in sedentary adolescents

Promotion of physical fitness and an active lifestyle is critical during the formative adolescent years. This study investigated the effect of a school-based, alternative physical education program of walking training on the aerobic fitness of sedentary, predominantly obese teenagers. The subjects trained three days a week for 11 weeks at an average pace of 3.9 mph and heart rate of 151 beats per minute (79.6% of maximum). Physiologic responses during maximal treadmill testing before and after walking training were compared to those during a 3-month control period preceding the program. Weight-relative maximal oxygen uptake improved 9.9 percent (p < .05), while treadmill endurance time increased by two minutes (23 percent, p < .05). These findings indicate that small but significant improvements in aerobic function can be expected from walking training in sedentary adolescents.