RESUMEN

Approximately half of military recruits fail the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), and 70% of all injuries in the US military are musculoskeletal in nature. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether underdeveloped musculoskeletal and cardiovascular fitness levels and subsequent APFT scores of senior military college cadets could be improved by a novel, evidence-based Cadet Athlete Physical Training Intervention (CAPTI) compared to the current Remedial Physical Training program (RPT). Cadets failing the APFT (total score < 180, or < 60 in scored sit-ups, pushups or run time, respectively) participated in a 16-week remedial training program including either CAPTI (periodized full body calisthenic and varied-technique cardiovascular training, along with mobility training and mental health and wellbeing sessions), or a traditional, event-specific remedial training program (RPT). CAPTI was randomly assigned to one of three battalions, while the others received RPT. One hundred and thirty-eight cadets (n = 70 CAPTI, n = 68 RPT) participated in the study. After training, 82.9% (n = 58) of CAPTI passed the APFT compared to 27.9% (n = 19) of RPT. Paired t-tests demonstrated significant improvement (p < 0.01) for CAPTI in total APFT scores (42 ± 31.5 points), sit-ups (13.8 ± 9.4) pushups (6.5 ± 11) and run time (83 ± 123s). In RPT, significant improvements (p < 0.01) were noted in total APFT scores (16 ± 27.8), sit-ups (3.3 ± 6.7) pushups (3.69 ± 8.0) and run time (43 ± 127s). Between-group analyses demonstrated CAPTI had significantly higher improvements compared to RPT in APFT total score (p < 0.01) and sit-ups (p < 0.01). Higher perceived program enjoyment was also demonstrated for CAPTI when compared to RPT (P < 0.01). The CAPTI program could help address the military's physical readiness and musculoskeletal injury problem by incorporating evidence-based, wellness-focused, periodized training as part of a remedial physical training model.

RESUMEN

Middle-aged and older adults living in rural settings have been consistently less likely to report regular physical activity (PA) than those living in urban settings. While past literature has identified sociodemographic and environmental correlates of PA that may contribute to these differences, consideration of psychological correlates has been limited. A total of 95 rural and urban adults ≥50 years old provided self-reported sociodemographic information, PA level, and psychological correlates of PA including measures assessing motivation, self-efficacy, social support, and attitudes related to PA. The average participant age was 68.6 years, and most were female (62.1%) and married (70.5%). While PA level did not differ significantly between the rural and urban groups, different psychological correlates contributed significantly to separate rural and urban linear regression models considering PA status. Among rural adults, more positive attitudes toward PA, and greater PA self-efficacy and social support were associated with greater amounts of PA while for urban adults, no psychological correlates were significantly associated with PA. Psychosocial factors may be key considerations in developing more effective PA interventions in middle-aged and older adults living in rural areas.

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BACKGROUND: High rates of stress-related problems in college students and low utilization of treatment options demonstrate the need for effective stress-reducing interventions that can be self-regulated. This study compared the effect of brief paced-breathing with biofeedback and exercise interventions on heart rate variability, state anxiety and affect. METHODS: Students (n = 32) with high levels of perceived stress completed three 10-min interventions on separate days: paced-breathing with biofeedback (Biofeedback), a self-paced walk (Exercise), and an attention control condition of quiet studying (Quiet Study). Anxiety and affect were measured before (Pre), immediately after (Post0) and 15 mins after (Post15) the intervention. Heart rate variability was measured pre- and post-intervention using electrocardiogram. RESULTS: Biofeedback reduced anxiety more than the exercise condition (Pre to Post0: Biofeedback d = -0.48, Exercise d = -0.13). Secondly, Exercise temporarily increased energy (Pre to Post0: d = 0.67), whereas Biofeedback temporarily increased calmness (Pre to Post0: d = 0.51). All conditions significantly increased total heart rate variability (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Biofeedback and Exercise interventions improved emotional states in high-stress college students, but the type of change observed (i.e. energizing, calming or anxiety reducing) depended upon the condition.

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To investigate the relationship between cognitive and affective responses during acute exercise, 24 low-active females completed two 30-min bouts of cycle ergometer exercise at 90% of the ventilatory threshold. In one condition participants had full knowledge of the exercise duration (KD); in the other, exercise duration was unknown (UD). Affect and self-efficacy were measured before and every 3 min during exercise, and affect was also measured postexercise. Affect declined throughout the first half of both conditions, and continued its decline until the end of the UD condition, when a rebound effect was observed. Self-efficacy during exercise displayed a similar pattern. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that during-exercise self-efficacy was a stronger predictor of during-exercise affect than preexercise self-efficacy, and that this relationship was strongest at the end of exercise when duration was unknown. These results indicate that repetitive cognitive appraisal of self and the task could impact the exercise experiences of low-active women during the adoption phase of an exercise program.

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RESUMEN

Despite the well established physical and psychological benefits derived from leading a physically active life, rates of sedentary behaviour remain high. Dropout and non-compliance are major contributors to the problem of physical inactivity. Perceptions of exertion, affective responses (e.g. displeasure or discomfort), and physiological stress could make the exercise experience aversive, particularly for beginners. Shifting one's attentional focus towards environmental stimuli (dissociation) instead of one's body (association) has been theorized to enhance psychological responses and attenuate physiological stress. Research evidence on the effectiveness of attentional focus strategies, however, has been perplexing, covering the entire gamut of possible outcomes (association and dissociation having been shown to be both effective and ineffective). This article examines the effects of manipulations of attentional focus on exertional and affective responses, as well as on exercise economy and tolerance. The possible roles of the characteristics of the exercise stimulus (intensity, duration) and the exercise participants, methodological issues, and limitations of experimental designs are discussed. In particular, the critical role of exercise intensity is emphasized. Dissociative strategies may be more effective in reducing perceptions of exertion and enhancing affective responses at low to moderate exercise intensities, but their effectiveness may be diminished at higher and near-maximal levels, at which physiological cues dominate. Conversely, associative strategies could enable the exerciser to regulate intensity to avoid injury or overexertion. Thus, depending on intensity, both strategies have a place in the 'toolbox' of the public health or exercise practitioner as methods of enhancing the exercise experience and promoting long-term compliance.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between transformational and transactional leadership behaviors and the self-efficacy ofparticipants involved in a structured 10-week exercise program. Three weeksinto their exercise classes 174 females (M age = 25.36 years, SD = 8.48) provided ratings of their exercise instructor's leadership behaviors as well as their personal efficacy related to scheduling, over-coming barriers and within-class capabilities. Results revealed that for exercise initiates, contingent rewards behaviors were able to explain unique variation in scheduling self-efficacy and barrier self-efficacy, but not within-class self-efficacy. For experienced exercisers, none of the leadership behaviors assessed in this study were associated with participant self-efficacy.

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