exercise

Exercise program, Greek traditional music and mood profile of patients with dementia: a pilot study

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The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effect of a music-based exercise program on mood state of patients with dementia listening to Greek traditional music while exercising. The sample consisted of 18 patients, all residents of Arogi Rehabilitation Centre, randomly separated in two groups, that is, the exercise group (N=12) following the one-week music-based exercise program at a frequency of 4 training sessions, for 45 minutes each session, and the control group (N=6) with no exercise or music involved. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) was administered to all residents to examine the short term effect of the music-based exercise program in terms of patients’ distinct mood states. Results revealed that although no statistically significant differences were noted between the two groups in all pre-measures, the experiment group exhibited significantly higher scores on vigor and lower scores on tension-anxiety, fatigue-inertia, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, confusion and total mood profile compared with the control group in post-measurements. The positive effect of the music-based exercise program on patients’ mood state was discussed and recommendations were made to extent its use to all residents with chronic conditions, aiming to improve mood and quality of life during rehabilitation.

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Body mass index, physical activity and dietary habits between young Greek athletes and non-athletes

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the body mass index (BMI), physical activity (PA) and dietary habits of students living in a province of North Greece, who exercised or not exercised regularly and compare the findings to the international guidelines for health. A total of 575 male and female students participated in the study and were divided into sub-groups according to their age (9-13 yrs, n=240 & 14-17 yrs, n=335) and their athletic experience (athletes, n=243 & non-athletes, n=332). The data were collected by the Physical Activity & Lifestyle Questionnaire (PALQ) and the 24 hour Dietary Recall Questionnaire (24hDRQ). Data analysis showed that 85% of male and female athletes met international guidelines of PA for health, accumulating >60′ minutes/day of moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA), as compared to 37% of non-athletes. Moreover, the athletes accumulated significantly more MVPA as compared to their peers who did not participate in organized sports. Eating habits did not differ between athletes and non-athletes, and a percentage of 83% did not meet the international recommendations for a healthy diet. However, no statistically significant differences were found in BMI between athletes and non-athletes. These finding revealed that a significant proportion of the participants did not meet the recommended dietary and PA guidelines of international health organizations, and it seems that regular exercise did not protect young people from the problem of overweight. Thus, it is necessary to implement prevention programs that aim to improve food choices and increase PA.

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A study on the accuracy of three pedometers

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A study on the accuracy of three pedometers: Omron Walking style pro HJ-720IT-E2 (OHJ), Omron walking style II (OII) and Yamax SW-200 (YSW). This study examined the effects of walking speed on the accuracy of the above pedometers: Thirty two subjects (271.22 ± 28,4 months) walked on a treadmill at various speeds (54, 67, 80, 94, and 107 mmin-1) for five min stages. Two investigators determined steps simultaneously by a hand counter and a camera was recording all the trial. YSW and OHJ were measured on the right side and OII was measured on the left side. OHJ and OII did not differ a lot from actual steps at any speed (p>0.05), only YSW differed a lot at 54 m*min-1 (p<0.05). OHJ and OII appeared to be accurate at any speed and YSW provide accurate values at 64 m*min-1 and above.

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Health-related Fitness Assessment in Greek Schoolchildren 12-16 Years Old

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The present study evaluated the influence of age and sex on the level of health-related fitness components in secondary school students. The participants were 330 secondary schoolchildren (158 boys and 172 girls) 12-16 years old. For the evaluation of health-related fitness (aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition), the Fitnessgram test battery was used. Results revealed significant differences for age and sex for the one mile run-walk test, for the curl up test and for VO2max. Also, there was significant main effect of age on body mass index and the trunk lift test. Moreover, there was a significant main effect of sex on back saver sit and reach test, while no significant differences were found between age and sex in the push-up test. The students succeed in achieving the criteria, which were in the “Healthy Fitness Zone”, as these indicated by the Fitnessgram test battery, in a percentage more than 97% for the curl up test, 88% for the trunk lift test, 78% for the back saver sit and reach test, 72% for the 90o push-up test . In contrary, the students were in the zone “Need Improvement” in a percentage of 39% for the one mile run-walk test, 20% for the VO2max and 25% for the Body Mass Index. A better understanding of the individual differences that exist in different ages and between boys and girls, could have strong implication for planning and teaching physical education in schools aiming to increase students’ fitness level.

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