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Tennis coaches display significant influence, catalyzing changes in athlete performance, motivation, and overall well-being. Research on coaches' motivations and their impact on coaching style, work, and well-being is limited, especially in individual sports like tennis. Based on self-determination (SDT) and achievement goal (AGT) theories, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationships of coaches' self-determined motivation (intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation), basic psychological needs satisfaction (autonomy, relatedness, and competence), and achievement goals (self-improvement-SI, self-enhancement-SE, self-transcendence-ST) with their coach-created empowering-disempowering motivational climate, work engagement, and well-being (subjective vitality). Participants were 106 tennis coaches from Greece (66 males and 40 females), with an average age of 41.30 ± 12.54 years and coaching experience ranging from six months to 40 years. Data was collected through online questionnaires. Correlation analysis revealed that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs, and achievement goals were found to be positively related to an empowering climate, work engagement, and subjective vitality. Coaches' amotivation was positively related to a disempowering climate. Multiple regression analyses showed that autonomy and ST achievement goals significantly predicted tennis coaches' empowering motivational climate, while none of the independent variables were significant predictors of the disempowering motivational climate. Additionally, intrinsic motivation and ST goal significantly predicted tennis coaches' work engagement, while autonomy and ST goal significantly predicted their subjective vitality. It is advisable for forthcoming coach education initiatives to consider these findings as an additional justification for tennis coaches to incorporate multiple perspectives into their coaching methodologies.

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In this follow-up study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of the "I do not smoke, I exercise" anti-smoking preventive health education program. The program was based on the theory of planned behavior supplemented with life skills teaching and targeted at high school students. The intervention comprised ten one-hour online sessions, administered by physical education instructors. The study cohort comprised 222 students (109 boys, 113 girls) from 11 secondary schools, with an average age of 16.42 ± 1.36 years. Data collection involved pre- and post-intervention self-assessment questionnaires. The examined variables included attitudes towards smoking, intention to smoke, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), knowledge about smoking, smoking behavior, exercise behavior, attitudes toward the program's implementation, and satisfaction with the program. A separate paired samples t-test revealed a significant improvement in students' knowledge about smoking (t217 = -5.605, p < 0.001, d = 0.38) and perceived behavioral control (t220 = -2.166, p < 0.05, d = 0.15) following the intervention. However, no significant changes were observed in the remaining variables. In addition, students' overall satisfaction with the implementation of the present health education program was high (M = 5.72 ± 1.39). These findings suggest that the health education smoking prevention intervention incorporates techniques and strategies that influence the perceived behavioral control variable, emphasizing students' strong interest in educationally theorized programs integrating technology into their design. Future studies should consider further examination of tobacco control strategies within the high school context.

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The children's fairytale is a playful educational tool that can be modified in such a way to enhance motor proficiency. This study investigated the effect of an online exercise program with modified fairytales on children's motor proficiency during the kindergarten curriculum. Forty preschool children (20 girls and 20 boys; 5.13 ± 0.24 years old) were divided into two equal groups: an intervention (IG) group and a control group (CG). The IG followed a 3-month (3 times/week) online exercise intervention program (supervised by the class's kindergarten teacher) with modified children's fairytales, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an aim to improve their motor proficiency. The CG did not attend any exercise intervention program. The Democritos Movement Screening Tool for Preschool Children (DEMOST-PRE), consisting of ten tests, was used to assess the children's motor proficiency. Τhe IG, after the end of the intervention program, significantly improved in the DEMOST-PRE total score (p < 0.001; mean change: 40.7%), while the CG did not significantly improve in the total score (p > 0.05). Furthermore, in the IG, a significant negative correlation between the pre-training DEMOST-PRE total score and the percentage change following the intervention (r = -0.64; p = 0.002) was observed. A modified exercise program using children's fairytales may be incorporated into the kindergarten curriculum as an effective educational tool for the improvement of motor proficiency.

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The present study aimed to identify the impact of social distancing measures on adolescents' physical activity (PA) levels and well-being during the implementation of COVID-19 restrictive measures. There were 438 participants (207 boys and 231 girls), aged 12 to 15 years old (M = 13.5, SD = 0.55). They completed online questionnaires on well-being and PA in three waves (December 2020, February 2021, and June 2021). Correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between well-being and PA variables in the three measurements. Additionally, separate three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to capture possible differences in students' moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels, life satisfaction, and subjective vitality among the three measurements due to gender, age, and interaction between gender and age. A significant relation emerged between the MVPA variables and well-being. In all measurements, adolescents' PA levels did not meet the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations of at least 60 min per day in MVPA. Students' MVPA levels, life satisfaction, and subjective vitality were significantly higher in the third measurement compared to the first and second ones. Moreover, significant differences emerged in life satisfaction and subjective vitality between boys and girls in the first and third measurements, respectively. The COVID-19 restrictions appeared to negatively influence adolescents' PA and well-being. Policymakers aimed at facilitating adolescents' well-being in a similar situation in the future should not adopt measures restricting the participation of adolescents in PA.

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The present study examined the effectiveness of a school-based health education program promoting healthy diet and exercise, named DIEX, implemented on adolescents. The program is based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and is supported by life skills training. The recipients of the program were high school students (n = 367; 168 boys and 199 girls) from 14 schools in Greece who attended 10 1 h sessions implemented by their schoolteachers. Data were collected before and after the program implementation through online questionnaires for: a. attitude, intention, subjective norms, and PBC toward healthy eating; b. knowledge about healthy eating; c. exercise behavior and attitude toward the DIEX program; and d. satisfaction with the DIEX program (only post-program). The results showed that there were significant differences among the pre- and post-measures of students' knowledge and behavior about healthy diet, as well as attitudes and satisfaction toward the program's application. The results show that the DIEX program may have improved nutrition behavior variables. Conclusively, a theory-based behavioral intervention with skills training may result in positive behavioral changes for young students during health education in school settings with the assistance of new technologies.

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PURPOSE: The demanding and exhausting working hours, as well as the bad and unsuitable working conditions that prevail in several hospitals, affect employees' physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a daily 6-week supervised workplace exercise program on health indices, functional capacity, overall fitness, subjective vitality, and life satisfaction in health professionals. METHODS: A randomized controlled study was used. 50 health professionals (40-55 years), working in a hospital environment, were divided into two groups: exercise (EG) and control group (CG). EG performed a 6-week supervised concurrent chair-based exercise program (stretching, strength, balance exercises, aerobic dance; 5 days/week, 30-40 min/day, 2 workouts/day lasted 15-20 min) in the hospital. Health indices (body composition, blood pressure, respiratory function), functional capacity (flexibility, balance), physical fitness (strength, cardiorespiratory fitness), subjective vitality, and life satisfaction were measured before and after the completion of the program. Additionally, after the completion of the program, EG participants' enjoyment was assessed. RESULTS: EG significantly increased (p < 0.001) lean body mass and respiratory function (range of mean increase 3.5-4.5%, depending on the variable), functional capacity (range of mean increase 18-40%, depending on the variable), lower and upper libs maximal strength (range of mean increase 10-25%, depending on the variable), subjective vitality (41.3%) and life satisfaction (21.5%); while significantly decreased (p < 0.001) heart rate during submaximal test (- 14%), body fat and blood pressure (range of mean decrease - 3.5% to - 5.5%, depending on the variable). In CG, all the above variables did not change. Furthermore, a great percentage of employees (95%) reported high levels of enjoyment. CONCLUSION: A workplace exercise program may be safely used for the promotion of employees' physical and mental health.

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BACKGROUND: Exercise improves perinatal depressive (PD) symptoms, but reports call for more robust evidence. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at synthesizing evidence exclusively from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of exercise on PD symptoms in women recruited through perinatal health services. METHODS: Nine e-databases and fifteen systematic reviews were searched for relevant RCTs. Exercise-specific tools extracted/coded data. A meta-analysis using a random effects model (Standardized Mean Difference [SMD]) investigated the effects of exercise on PD scores post-intervention. RESULTS: From 285 records, 14 RCTs (2.025 participants) were considered eligible including two RCTs with clinically diagnosed PD women. Exercise showed a statistically significant, small, overall antidepressant effect (SMD = -0.21, 95% CI = -0.31, -0.11, p = 0.0001) with low/non-significant heterogeneity (Q = 17.82, I 2 = 16%, p = 0.27). Only the fail-safe criterion recorded marginally significant publication bias, but trim-fill analysis added no study. Sensitivity analyses increased the overall effect in RCTs showing lower risk of bias or delivering ≥150 min/week moderate intensity aerobic exercise. Subgroup analyses revealed significant antidepressant effects for exercise across various settings, delivery formats, depressive symptoms severities and outcome measures used. Heterogeneity was low/non-significant in all analyses (I 2 ≤ 50%). Hedges' g corrections did not influence the results. LIMITATIONS: Study limitations include the small number of available trials and clinically diagnosed PD samples and the variety of exercise modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise improved PD symptoms, especially in RCTs with lower risk of bias or with ≥150 min/day moderate intensity aerobic exercise interventions. Findings are clinically useful but more RCTs for clinically diagnosed PD women are needed for firmer conclusions.

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AIM: The main objectives of this research were to a) examine the test-retest reliability of aquaticity test (study 1), b) investigate the efficacy of 'swimming lesson', during the physical education course, in the aquaticity (study 2) and c) examine enjoyment from the 'swimming lesson' (study 3) in primary school students of the 3rd grade. METHODS: In the first study, 23 students performed 2 assessment sessions for the evaluation of aquaticity, separated by 1 week. In the second study, 30 students followed a short-term swimming training programme (9 sessions). Before and after the programme, students' aquaticity was assessed. In the third study, enjoyment was examined in 273 students who followed the short-term swimming programme. RESULTS: The test-retest reliability for the assessment of students' aquaticity was high (ICC = 0.87-0.99). Paired t tests, also, revealed significant improvement (28-62.7%) in the aquaticity of the children following the swimming programme. A great percentage of students reported high levels of enjoyment (92.2%). CONCLUSION: A short-term swimming programme, incorporated into the physical education course, is an enjoyable exercise modality that may be used for the improvement of children's aquaticity. We, also, found that the testing protocol may be reliably used for the evaluation of aquaticity in the paediatric population.

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Physical activity (PA) is linked to reduced risk of depression, but research on the objectively measured PA in clinically diagnosed adult outpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is scarce. This study aimed to examine relationships of objectively measured PA with depression and mood. A total of 19 outpatients (6 males) with MDD, a mean age of 47.79 ± 11.67 years and mild-moderate depression participated in the study. To record PA, participants wore a triaxial accelerometer device on the right hip during waking hours for seven consecutive days. Depression and mood were assessed with self-reports immediately after day seven. Participants wore the accelerometers for a high number of days (M = 6.26 ± 1.24 days) and hours per day (13.40 ± 2.61 h), recording light (266.01 ± 100.74 min/day) or moderate (31.19 ± 24.90 min/day) PA, and sedentary time (515.33 ± 155.71 min/day). Stepwise regression analysis yield a significant prediction (p < .05) with only moderate PA contributing to the prediction of depression (Beta = -0.47, p < .05). The model explained 22% of the variance of depression. Our findings provide valuable preliminary evidence regarding the relationship between objectively measured PA and lower depression in clinically diagnosed outpatients with MDD, suggesting moderate PA may help alleviating depressive symptoms.

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Although exercise is associated with depression relief, the effects of aerobic exercise (AE) interventions on clinically depressed adult patients have not been clearly supported. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the antidepressant effects of AE versus nonexercise comparators exclusively for depressed adults (18-65 years) recruited through mental health services with a referral or clinical diagnosis of major depression. Eleven e-databases and bibliographies of 19 systematic reviews were searched for relevant randomized controlled clinical trials. A random effects meta-analysis (Hedges' g criterion) was employed for pooling postintervention scores of depression. Heterogeneity and publication bias were examined. Studies were coded considering characteristics of participants and interventions, outcomes and comparisons made, and study design; accordingly, sensitivity and subgroup analyses were calculated. Across 11 eligible trials (13 comparisons) involving 455 patients, AE was delivered on average for 45 min, at moderate intensity, three times/week, for 9.2 weeks and showed a significantly large overall antidepressant effect (g = -0.79, 95% confidence interval = -1.01, -0.57, P < 0.00) with low and nonstatistically significant heterogeneity (I2 = 21%). No publication bias was found. Sensitivity analyses revealed large or moderate to large antidepressant effects for AE (I2 ≤ 30%) among trials with lower risk of bias, trials with short-term interventions (up to 4 weeks), and trials involving individual preferences for exercise. Subgroup analyses revealed comparable effects for AE across various settings and delivery formats, and in both outpatients and inpatients regardless symptom severity. Notwithstanding the small number of trials reviewed, AE emerged as an effective antidepressant intervention.

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INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the present study was to examine whether self-regulation strategies can further extend the effect of moderate intensity exercise on smoking delay. METHOD: Participants were 40 adult smokers who were randomly assigned into two groups: control and self-regulation. A repeated measures design was adopted including a neutral condition (20 min video) and an exercise condition (20 min moderate intensity exercise). RESULTS: The results showed that smoking delay increased significantly for both groups; however, the increase for the self-regulation group was significantly larger than that of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the anti-smoking effects of acute exercise; furthermore, they highlight the usefulness of self-regulation strategies, and in particular goal setting, in extending smoking delay. The present findings provide important evidence for the exercise and smoking literature and useful directions for the development of smoking cessation interventions.

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