A church-based physical activity intervention for African American women

This trial evaluated a 6-month, church-based aerobic exercise intervention to increase physical activity among African American women relative to a health lecture and stretching condition. Participants were 196 women from 11 churches. Churches were randomized to an Aerobic Exercise or Health N Stretch intervention. Results indicated that physical activity was not different in Aerobic Exercise and Stretch N Health, although attendance in both interventions was low. Both groups reduced physical inactivity prevalence from baseline (26% and 18% decline, respectively). Higher baseline social support predicted change in physical activity, regardless of treatment assignment. Researchers must continue to work to identify successful intervention strategies to increase physical activity in African American women who are at disproportionate risk of chronic diseases associated with physical inactivity.     

Treatment and Prevention of Obesity: What is the Role of Exercise?

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity highlight the need for improved intervention strategies to counteract this significant public health problem. To this end, it appears that increases in energy expenditure through exercise and other forms of physical activity may be an important component of effective interventions to enhance initial weight loss and the prevention of weight regain. However, to achieve these outcomes, adequate levels of exercise and physical activity appear to be necessary, with 60 to 90 min/d currently being recommended. While this appears to be a significant amount of activity, overweight and obese adults should be counseled to progressively increase to these levels of exercise and physical activity. Moreover, there is significant evidence that even if an overweight or obese adult is unable to achieve this level of activity, that significant health benefits can be realized by participating in at least 30 minutes of daily activity that is at least moderate in intensity. Therefore, it is important to have interventions that target these levels of physical activity to improve health-related outcomes and to facilitate long-term weight control.     

Determinants of Physical Activity Among Somali Women Living in Maine

Somali women living in the US are at increased risk for chronic health conditions due to changes in lifestyle following immigration. Numerous barriers to physical activity have been reported in this population. Behavioral theory may inform the design of successful health interventions. We explored in focus groups the behavioral determinants of physical activity (theory of planned behavior, self-efficacy) among Somali women (N = 30). We found that most (two-thirds) subjects were sedentary, although women who had lived in the US for 10 years or longer were more likely to be active. Somali women recognize the health threat of physical inactivity, including high rates of obesity. Moral norms appear to be the major barrier to physical activity, due to prohibitions against exercising in public or in Western-style clothing. Taking moral norms into consideration should allow for the design of culturally-appropriate exercise programs that can address a major health threat in this vulnerable population.     

Effects of a 12-Week Pilates Course on Lower Limb Muscle Strength and Trunk Flexibility in Women Living in the Community

Researchers in Taiwan studying regular adult physical activity found that among married women aged 26 to 55 years, 56% participated in physical activity, and that the convenience and safety of the activity were major factors contributing to their willingness to exercise. Muscle weakness and poor trunk flexibility are closely related to some chronic diseases in women. In this cross-sectional survey, we used the Polestar Pilates? method to explore the effects of a 12-week Pilates course on the physical fitness of women living in the community. Fifty-three members of the experimental group (mean age: 42.30±9.97) and 43 of the control group (mean age: 41.23±9.83) were included. We confirm that a convenient Pilates exercise intervention can significantly improve muscle strength and trunk flexibility in women. Our findings serve as an important reference for health authorities in Taiwan and provide higher awareness of women's health and physical fitness, which can help prevent chronic and cardiovascular diseases.     

Factors related to physical activity adherence in women: review and suggestions for future research

Approximately 50 percent of individuals who start an exercise program withdraw within 6 months. Thus, many individuals withdraw before health benefits have been realized. This is a disconcerting statistic considering the well known benefits of physical activity for decreasing risk of hypokinetic diseases and improving quality of life. The literature has suggested a plethora of factors to increase the number of individuals who initiate a physical activity program. However, little is known about the factors that keep women exercising-otherwise known as exercise adherence. The purpose of this paper is to: (a) systematically review the quantitative literature to discern the major factors contributing to adherence to physical activity in women and men and make recommendations for specific gender-based considerations that are important when designing PA interventions for women, and (b) suggest areas of future research related to increasing adherence to physical activity in women. Key factors reviewed in this paper may be useful in developing efficacious physical activity programs for women.     

Micronutrient requirements of physically active women: what can we learn from iron?

The health benefits of physical activity are well established and there is increasing recognition of the importance of fitness as a key modulator of chronic disease. The impact of physical activity on micronutrient requirements is a topic of tremendous interest to the lay public, but the interest is in sharp contrast to data from well-designed studies. Research in this area is poorly controlled for nutritional status of the participants, standardized exercise protocols, markers and cutoff points for measurement of micronutrient status, and variability in subject characteristics. The micronutrient status of women in the general population is of concern, but it is not clear that physical activity increases the requirement of most micronutrients. When dietary intake is adequate, the results of most studies are either equivocal or show no benefit to performance of supplementation. In the few instances where exercise does appear to increase an individual's requirement, the increase can be obtained within the additional calories required for energy balance. In the absence of consistent data, micronutrient supplementation is often indiscriminate without regard to nutrient status. Because iron is such a key nutrient for physical activity, and the status in women is often compromised, it serves as a useful example of how current research limits the ability to make recommendations regarding the impact of exercise on micronutrients requirements in women. With the recent recognition of the importance of physical activity to the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases through the life span, more attention should be focused on the impact of exercise on micronutrient requirements, especially in the context of weight loss regimens.     

The evolution of physical activity recommendations: how much is enough?

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem, and compelling evidence suggests that it is a contributing factor in several chronic diseases and conditions. Recognition of the health and functional hazards of a sedentary way of life has led numerous groups to promulgate public health recommendations for physical activity. In this report, we review the evolution of physical activity recommendations, discuss reasons for differences in the recommendations, and provide a summary recommendation in an attempt to harmonize existing differences. Current public health recommendations for physical activity are for 30 min of moderate-intensity activity each day, which provides substantial benefits across a broad range of health outcomes for sedentary adults. This dose of exercise may be insufficient to prevent unhealthful weight gain for some persons who may need additional exercise or caloric restriction to minimize the likelihood of further weight gain. Persons who get 30 min of moderate-intensity exercise per day are likely to achieve additional health benefits if they exercise more. In addition to aerobic exercise, people should engage in resistance training and flexibility exercises at least twice a week, which will promote the maintenance of lean body mass, improvements in muscular strength and endurance, and preservation of function, all of which enable long-term participation in regular physical activity and promote quality of life.     

Barriers to physical activity among women in the rural midwest

Physical activity is an important factor in chronic disease control and prevention. Yet women and rural residents consistently report lower rates of physical activity than their male and urban/suburban counterparts. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between personal, social, and environmental barriers and meeting moderate physical activity recommendations in a sample of rural women. Data were obtained from a telephone survey of 2,510 residents of rural southeastern Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas. After adjusting for age and income, women who identified personal barriers, such as lack of time, no motivation, disinterest in exercise, and having no one to exercise with were less likely to meet physical activity recommendations. There was evidence of a dose-response relationship between the number of barriers identified and meeting moderate physical activity recommendations among women with higher incomes and women with lower incomes; however, this relationship was most striking among women with annual household incomes of 25,000 US Dollar or more. These findings may be used to tailor physical activity interventions to women in rural communities.     

Barriers and motivations to exercise in older adults

Although exercise is an established component in the management of many chronic diseases associated with aging, activity levels tend to progressively decline with increasing age. Given the growing proportion of older adults, these suboptimal levels of physical activity represent an increasing public health problem. The predicators of adherence elucidated in younger adults are unreliable in elderly populations. Age-specific barriers and motivators unique to this cohort are relevant and must be acknowledged. The identification of reliable predictors of exercise adherence will allow healthcare providers to effectively intervene and change patterns of physical activity in sedentary elderly. In particular, because older patients respect their physician's advice and have regular contact with their family doctor, physicians can play a key and pivotal role in the initiation and maintenance of exercise behavior among the older population.     

Einfluss von k?rperlicher Aktivit?t und Sport auf die Knochengesundheit im Lebenslauf

Physical activity and exercise are important determinants for metabolic and cardiovascular health. They also play an important role for bone health in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This review summarizes results from observational and intervention studies which evaluated the association between physical activity/exercise and bone health in different life course stages. In childhood and adolescence, physical activity and exercise induce improved bone accrual. In adulthood, mainly in postmenopausal women, long-term exercise programs reduce age-related bone loss. Especially weight-bearing activities seem to have an important osteogenic effect. Children and adolescent show a higher bone accrual until 5 years after cessation of an exercise program compared to their peers, who do not participate in an exercise program. In contrast, adults who quit exercising have a higher decrease in bone stiffness compared to adults who never exercised. This effect was particularly seen in postmenopausal women. Continuous physical activity and exercise over the life course and the implementation of exercise programs in schools and community-based intervention programs can help prevent or even reduce osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures. Due to the lack of prospective longitudinal studies, the supposed long-term sustainable protective effect of physical activity and exercise in childhood and adolescent on bone health in later adulthood is not well established.     

Battling America's epidemic of physical inactivity: building more walkable, livable communities

The US surgeon general recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity a day for adults to reduce the risk of chronic disease and an early death. Yet only about 1 in 4 American adults meets that recommendation through leisure-time physical activity and/or conscious exercise. One result is the so-called obesity epidemic, but a sedentary lifestyle also increases the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. We must create environments in which physical activity becomes a routine part of the day for more Americans. Encouraging routine walking and bicycling appears to be especially promising because of a growing understanding of how to create bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly settings. Everyone, not just those working in public health, must ally themselves with community leaders to pursue programs and policies to create settings with 4 key attributes: more compact neighborhoods with a mix of land uses; a comprehensive network of pathways, trails, bike lanes, and mass transit to allow "active" transportation; site designs that welcome cyclists and pedestrians; and an umbrella of safety that encourages people to get out of their cars. Many specific resources and programs are recommended to advance this agenda. Finally, we all must become role models by walking and cycling whenever possible and inviting others to do so with us.     

Gender differences in physical activity and fitness—association with self-reported health and health-relevant attitudes in a middle-aged Swiss urban population

In Switzerland lack of exercise is common. To improve physical exercise in both women and men, campaigns should consider the motivation for physical activity with respect to gender. This study explores the patterns of self-reported sport activity, habitual physical activity and physical fitness, and associated indicators of self-reported health, health-relevant attitudes, and resources in an urban Swiss population. Using the Bern Lifestyle Panel questionnaire, 511 women and 413 men, aged 55–65 years, in the German-speaking capital of Switzerland were assessed. From the three surveys carried out from 1996 to 1998, this study used the data from the 1997 survey for a cross-sectional analysis. Women demonstrated a lower prevalence of sport activity than men but a higher prevalence of habitual physical activity. Forty-six percent of the women but 80% of the men reported a high level of fitness. In the logistic regression analysis, sport activity in the women was significantly associated with indicators of health, health-relevant attitudes such as internal and external health locus of control, and social class. Among the men, no association with health-relevant orientation could be found. The probability of habitual physical activity among the women was associated with perceived good health, health-relevant orientation and social class, while related factors among the men were indicators of health. In both women and men, perceived good health was strongly associated with self-reported physical fitness. Additionally, womens fitness was related to perceived disease-related limitation and indicators of health status. The findings indicate a gender-specific distribution of sport activity, habitual physical activity and fitness. Compared to men, physical activity in women is associated more with health-relevant orientation. Along with indicators of health, attention should be paid to both female and male perception of health and self-reported attitudes when there is an attempt to improve physical activity. Since self-reported health status, disease-related limitations, and habitual physical activity, among others, are strongly affected by sociocultural and structural influences, caution should be kept in drawing general conclusions from the findings.     

Environmental and policy factors related to physical activity in rural white women

Physical activity is an important aspect of health promotion and disease prevention. However, women often have lower rates of physical activity than men. The purpose of this study was to identify environmental and policy determinants to physical activity among rural white women. Six focus groups were conducted with women aged 20-50 years who were not currently regular exercisers. Women reported that the social environment had a strong impact on physical activity level. Factors of the social environment included guilt, family responsibility, and social support. Environmental and policy barriers such as lack of access to places to exercise and safety concerns were also discussed. Intervention suggestions included family exercise and work-site programs. Information gained from this study can be used to fuel further research and inform future physical activity interventions.     

Effect of the physical activities in leisure time and commuting to work on mental health

Although some evidence suggests that exercise may improve mental health status, information regarding the intensity and duration of exercise is incomplete. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the association between physical activities in both leisure time and commuting to work and mental health. A questionnaire survey was conducted at three municipal offices in Japan. A total of 670 men and women completed the questionnaire. Mental health status was assessed by the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Respondents were asked about weekly hours of leisure-time exercise for four levels of exercise, and the volume of exercise was assessed using a metabolic equivalent task index. Information about commuting to work on foot or by bicycle was also obtained. The mean GHQ scores were calculated according to physical activity levels using analysis of covariance with adjustment of potential confounders including job stress. In men, the GHQ score decreased steadily with increasing levels of leisure-time exercise, and an inverse association was evident even for mild intensity exercise. Moreover, the GHQ score decreased according to increasing duration of time on commuting to work by either walking or cycling in men, but not in women. These relations did not materially change after adjustment for potential confounding factors. In women, there was no significant association between any of the indices of physical activity. In conclusion, leisure-time exercise and walking or cycling during commuting to work may be associated with better mental health in men.     

Fitting fitness into women’s lives: effects of a gender-tailored physical activity intervention

Although regular exercise has important health benefits, women’s physical activity participation remains low. Addressing the gender- and generation-specific barriers in an intervention may help women become more physically active. Fifty women (mean AGE = 45 years) participated in a six-session cognitive-behavioral intervention. Baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up data were collected. Total physical activity levels increased from baseline to post-intervention and were maintained at long-term follow-up. This research suggests that participation in a comprehensive, cognitive-behavioral, and empowerment-based physical activity intervention, tailored to address women’s distinct constraints and pressures due to sociopsychological experiences, can facilitate increased physical activity among white, middle-aged women.     

Effect of postpartum exercise on mothers and their offspring: a review of the literature

Epidemiological studies suggest that childbearing may contribute to the development of obesity. In the past 12 years, several cross-sectional and randomized trials have addressed the effect of postpartum exercise on weight loss and/or energy balance in mostly lactating women. These studies suggest that moderate exercise without specific calorie restriction does not promote greater weight or fat loss. This may be because exercise may promote greater energy intake and/or reduced energy expenditure from nonexercise physical activity (thus preventing negative energy balance), but further research is needed. Regular exercise, however, is likely to have other important health benefits after childbirth. A few published studies suggest that postpartum exercise improves aerobic fitness, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, and insulin sensitivity. Exercise may also enhance psychological well-being, but controlled clinical studies are needed. Although two published studies have addressed whether exercise training attenuates lactation-induced bone loss, better controlled studies are needed to determine whether postpartum weight-bearing exercise can improve bone mineral density in lactating and nonlactating women alike. In lactating women, several studies have collectively determined that neither acute nor regular exercise has adverse effects on a mother's ability to successfully breast-feed. It needs to be determined whether a woman's participation in regular exercise after childbirth will improve her ability to mother or instill lifetime habits of regular physical activity in either herself or her offspring. Overall, published studies have established the importance of regular exercise during the postpartum period. More research, however, is needed in this important area.     

Giving young Emirati women a voice: participatory action research on physical activity

International evidence on health promotion indicates the importance of regular physical activity for preventing and reducing the incidence of obesity and chronic diseases. This study investigated the relationship between physical activity and the social milieu of young Muslim women in the United Arab Emirates. This participatory action research project included semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups and yielded qualitative data. Set within a context of rapid social change, perceived barriers to daily exercise influenced participants' physical activity levels and overall well-being. Results indicated a lack of physical exercise and strategies were proposed for implementation by college staff and students.     

'Survival of the fittest': effect of regular physical exercise on health and life expectancy

According to the 'Australian burden of disease study', physical inactivity appears to be a leading risk factor in the population at large, accounting for no less than 6.7% of the total loss of disability-adjusted life years. In women it is even the most important risk factor. Regular physical mobility and exercise can reduce this negative influence. The effects are: improvement of cardiovascular fitness, prevention of coronary events, and the reduction of excess mortality. The mortality risk may be reduced by 47% by physical activity, depending on the energy expenditure. Especially the studies of the last two years have so convincingly proven a robust effect of daily physical exercise that on this point permissiveness is no longer acceptable in the advice to the population at large.     

Do adolescent leisure-time physical activities foster health and well-being in adulthood? Evidence from two British birth cohorts

BACKGROUND: Calls for public health initiatives to increase adolescent leisure-time physical activity suggest that increasing activity in this age group will reduce social inequalities in health. While the public health benefits of exercise are undisputed, there is little evidence on its role in reducing health inequalities. The paper examines the extent to which adolescent leisure-time physical activity promotes adult health and well-being and explores whether adolescent leisure-time physical activity can act to reduce health inequalities arising from material deprivation during childhood. METHODS: This is a longitudinal study of the 1958 British birth cohort followed from age 16 to age 33 years (N = 15,452) and the 1970 British birth cohort followed to age 30 years (N = 14,018). Adult self-rated general health and Malaise Inventory scores are regressed on self-reports of leisure time physical activity. Analyses are conducted separately for men and women controlling for adolescent body mass index (BMI) and psychosocial problems. RESULTS: There was a consistent relationship between leisure-time physical activity in adolescence and psychological well-being approximately 15 years later for both the cohorts. This relationship was independent of adolescent BMI and psychosocial problems. More physical activity in adolescence predicted better adult self-assessed health in the 1958 cohort only. Leisure-time physical activity did not affect inequalities in health. CONCLUSIONS: Policies aimed at increasing participation in leisure-time physical activities in youth may improve population health but are unlikely to prevent the development of social inequalities in health.