Fitness centre membership is related to healthy behaviours.

AIM: Maximizing the health benefits associated with reducing inactivity levels requires an understanding of the individual and environmental determinants of physical activity. Membership in a fitness facility promotes physical activity, yet little is known of its relationship to health. The purpose of this study was to compare physical activity levels, and health status, behaviours, and beliefs, in members of a fitness centre, and non-member community residents. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, fitness centre members (n=236) and non-members (n=302) were compared with respect to perceived health status, use of health care services, fitness status, physical activity level, perceived control over health, and the likelihood of engaging in health promoting behaviours, using The Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile. Questionnaires were mailed to adult members of a fitness centre, and a stratified (age, sex) sample of non-members randomly selected from the local community. RESULTS: Fitness centre members were more likely than the comparison group to have visited a general physician, dentist, athletic therapist, optometrist, or nutritionist during the previous year (p<0.05), to exercise regularly, and to rate their physical fitness as very fit. They scored significantly higher on the overall health promoting lifestyle score (p=0.0353) as well as on health responsibility (p=0.0053), exercise (p=0.0001), and nutrition (p=0.0166) subscales, even after adjusting for differences in activity levels between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Fitness centre membership is associated with increased health responsibility and health promoting behaviours. This finding appears to be related to membership in the fitness centre, and not to increased participation in physical activity.

Influence of walking volume on health benefits in women post-menopause.

The health benefits of physical activity are believed to be related more to exercise volume than to intensity. In this 24-wk study, we examined the effect of walking volume on aerobic fitness, serum lipids, and body composition in women post-menopause, a population at risk for coronary artery disease. Of 79 women randomly assigned to groups at the outset, 56 completed the study (mean age 61.3 +/- 5.8). Participants walked at an intensity of 60% peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) for 60 min, 3 d.wk-1 (N = 19) or 5 d.wk-1 (N = 17), or remained sedentary (N = 20). Walking 3 or 5 d.wk-1 increased VO2peak (ml.kg-1.min-1) by 12% and 14%, respectively (P < 0.01). There were no changes in serum lipids in response to either program. Percent body fat decreased by 1.1% and 1.3% in those walking 3 and 5 d.wk-1, respectively; both changes significantly different from the control group (P < 0.05). Walking 5 d.wk-1 did not result in more health benefits than 3 d.wk-1, possibly due to a greater compensatory decline in activities other than the walking program, or greater discrepancies between actual and reported activity and food intake. Longer-duration programs, or simultaneous changes in diet, may be necessary to alter serum lipids in nonobese, normo-lipidemic women post-menopause.

Fitness and lifestyle parameters fail to predict back injuries in nurses.

Performance on fitness and back related isometric strength tests, as well as the response to a lifestyle questionnaire, were related to the subsequent occurrence of back injuries in 119 nurses. In all, 22% of subjects sustained injuries during the 18-month study. Injured nurses were more likely to be from high-risk wards and to have received worker's compensation pay for past back injuries. Fitness and lifestyle characteristics did not differ significantly between injured and not-injured groups. Using backward stepwise logistic regression, a model was developed that accounted for 41% of the variability between groups and predicted 67% of those injured. Prior compensation pay, smoking status, and job satisfaction were the most useful discriminators. It was concluded, however, that the fitness and lifestyle parameters measured did not effectively predict back injury in nurses.

The response of obese females to low impact exercise and diet counselling.

Obese women enrolled in a 24 week low impact exercise program were assigned to either an exercise or an exercise plus diet counselling treatment. Overweight volunteers were recruited to serve as the control group. No significant changes were observed in maximal oxygen uptake, serum lipids, body composition, self esteem or physical body image during the program. A significant negative correlation was found between changes in serum HDL-C and changes in percent body fat. Maximal oxygen uptake was significantly and positively related to self esteem and physical body image. Participants who received diet counselling were less likely to drop out of the program than other members of the exercise group, and were more likely to attend classes. Changes in dietary intake were similar in all exercising subjects, regardless of counselling. These results suggest that a short term program of low impact exercise may not be sufficient to produce significant adaptations in this population.

An analysis of fitness and time-motion characteristics of handball.

This study was conducted to determine some fitness parameters of two elite handball players, including the current world champion, and also to determine some of the time-motion characteristics of the game of hand-ball. The VO2 max values of the two players were found to be similar (53.1 and 55.2 ml/kg/min), while the world champion was substantially higher on the anaerobic power test and in peak ventilation scores. The results of heart rate monitoring of these players indicated that the mean game heart rate was dependent on several external factors, such as the skill level of each player, the fitness level of each player, the length of the rallies, and the player in control of the rally. The mean heart rate for the world champion was 149 beats per minute (bpm) during each game, while that for the other skilled player was 163.6 bpm, which represented 80% and 88% of maximum, respectively. The average length of each rally was 9 seconds, and the mean pause time (between rallies) was 10 seconds, producing a work-to-test ratio of approximately 1:1. The ball was found to be in play for an average of 47.3% of the total mean game time of 17 minutes. Each player was found to take approximately 350 strokes per match, with the world champion, and eventually the winner, taking a greater number of serves. Handball training should consist of interval training at an intensity of at least 80% of maximum heart rate, with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:1 and an emphasis on 10 second intervals.