RESUMO
This study was conducted to determine the effect of exercise training in water (water exercise) in sedentary obese women. Twenty-three women, aged 23-58 years (mean±SD 41.7±11.7), partici pated in this study. Any volunteer with diagnosed disease or taking prescribed medication that might influence the outcome of this study was excluded from participation. The women were allocated either to the exercise group (n =15, weight =65.2±12.3 kg, %body fat=39.2±7.0%) or the control group (n = 8, 62.4±8.3 kg, 34.0±2.4%), respectively. The exercise program consisted of dynamic movements for 60 minutes per session, three days per week for 16 weeks. The exercise intensity was set at approximately 65% of the age-related maximal heart rate. The attendance rate on the program was 89.2±3.0%. The body mass and %body fat of the exercise group decreased significantly by 4.7±1.9 kg (<I>P</I><0.05) and 3.6±2.4% (<I>P</I><0.01), respectively, compared with the preexercise values. Significant improvements in their aerobic capacity, trunk flexibility and vertical jump (<I>P</I><0.05) were also observed. Their energy intake and the amount of other daily physical activity remained essentially unchanged throughout the study. No significant changes in any of the parameters measured occurred, in the control group. These findings indicate that water exercise improved the body composition and physical fitness of obese women.
RESUMO
In order to study on the optimum quantity of exercise for children in their daily life, we first gave a physical exercise performance test to 109 infants from 5 to 6 years of age and selected from them two groups of children, one comprising two children (a boy and a girl) who scored highest in the aforesaid test and the other also comprising two children (a boy and a girls) who scored lowest in the same test. We then carried on the measurement of heart rates in those four children while observing the behaviour and motion of the children at the same time. The results we obtained are follows:<BR>(1) Total heart beats per day of each of the four children ranged from 138109 beats (95.9/min.) to 161847 beats (112.5/min.) and the highest-scoring children showed the small-est number of heart beats and the lowest-scoring child the largest number.<BR>(2) Each of the four subjects registered the least average heart rate (67.9-93.3 beats/ min.) and the smallest alteration of heart rate at sleeping time. The average heart rate increased from 112.1-121.4 beats/min. in their home life to 122.8-135.4 beats/min. in their kindergarten life.<BR>(3) The highest showed less than the lowest on the total heart beats. But the highest showed the higher heart rate in the physical education and outdoor free activity time at kindergarten than the lowest. As a result of behaviour observation of children, we also found out that they would seem to take more interest in activities that involved removal playthings such as bicycle ridding, rope skipping and etc.<BR>(4) During sleeping time that accounted for about 42% of a day, the heart rate alter-ation was the least, accordingly we propose that the average heart rate at sleeping time may be an index of the heart rate of awake time, but It should be reguired more physio-logical investigations at sleeping time in future.