"To be myself again": Perceived benefits of group-based exercise for colorectal cancer patients.

PURPOSE: To explore the perceived benefits of a group-based exercise program for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) undergoing chemotherapy treatment. METHODS: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with all participants (n = 27) at the end of the exercise program (patients, relatives and healthcare professionals). The exercise instructor in charge of the exercise program with CRC patients also collected observational field notes throughout a research diary. RESULTS: Three main themes related to exercise as a coping strategy were obtained: (a) physical recovery; (b) psychosocial well-being, and (c) reconnection with their embodied selves and normal lives. Physical recovery included a perceived increase in fitness and a reduction in physical side-effects. Psychosocial well-being included perceived benefits in self-confidence, sense of control, reduced fear, feeling of being useful, sense of achievement, positive thinking and avoiding depression. All the physical and psychosocial benefits helped patients reconnect with their embodied selves, engage in activities practised before the diagnoses, improve their body image, avoid stigma, and increase their social life beyond cancer diagnoses. In this sense, some patients held on to their past selves, trying to keep or recover normality in their lives, while others acknowledged that they might not be the same person anymore, with exercise being part of this new identity. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that exercise is a coping strategy that benefitted CRC patients in several ways related to their physical and psychosocial quality of life.

"You Measure Us and You Depress Us": Healthism and the Subjective Impact of Body Measurements on Secondary School Students.

This study explores adolescents' subjective experiences when facing body measurements at school, performed to evaluate the effects of a school-based intervention to promote physical activity. Three semi-structured interviews (n = 3) and two focus groups (n = 7 and 3) were conducted with adolescents after measuring some variables related to their weight and adiposity. Observational data (n = 88) collected by the two researchers in charge of the measurements were also obtained. Findings derived from our thematic analysis question the suitability of body measurements as social contexts where the core ideas of healthism emerge. Some adolescents lived body measurements as negative social experiences, promoting body dissatisfaction, social comparison, embarrassment, and simplistic associations between health and body shape, which could hinder their adherence to healthy habits. We emphasize the role of qualitative research when evaluating pre/posttests of school-based intervention studies, not just the interventions themselves, to generate knowledge to improve research protocols and prevent unwanted psychological outcomes in participants.

Elements behind sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits in individuals with severe obesity.

PURPOSE: This study examines elements behind sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits in individuals who lived with severe obesity during many years of their lives. METHODS: Ten post-bariatric surgery patients participated in semi-structured interviews 7 months after surgery. A year later, a second round of interviews was also conducted to address some knowledge gaps related to the study purpose. The qualitative data collected were analysed through content analysis. RESULTS: Embarrassment about showing their body publicly, pain and poor physical condition, and bad experiences in non-inclusive physical activity contexts were found as potential elements that contributed to their adherence to sedentary lifestyles. Poor family food education, loss of a loved one, family problems, arguments or disputes, and past traumatic events (e.g., childhood sexual abuses) could be related to their development of unhealthy eating behaviours. Findings also pointed out that participants' failed attempts to lose weight provoked them anxiety, feelings of failure and rebellion, and influenced their return to an unhealthy diet and a sedentary lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS: This study may be helpful to reveal some elements which could be related to the origin and perpetuation of severe obesity, and to design prevention/treatment strategies from a more holistic, sensitive, and respectful perspective.

Lack of Correlation between Accelerometers and Heart-Rate Monitorization during Exercise Session in Older Adults.

Aging is increasing worldwide; hence, aging-related health is also more relevant. Well-programmed physical exercise is now an indispensable tool to achieve active aging and preserve older people's health. Such "well-programmed" exercise requires efficient and useful tools to measure the activity. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of accelerometers to estimate two different intensities of physical exercise in older people. Thirty-eight subjects (64.5 ± 5.3 years) were measured during two different sessions of physical exercise: one moderate in intensity, the other of low intensity. Heart rate and accelerometry were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that the two variables in the physical exercise sessions were not highly correlated, and that accelerometry did not seem useful to assess low-intensity sessions not based on walking.

Epidemiology of Injuries in Elite Female Futsal Players: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Injuries are one of the worst case scenarios for an athlete and a team. The aim of this study was to analyze the injury incidence, characteristics and burden among a cohort of elite female futsal players. A prospective cohort study was designed over a season. Eighty-nine players from seven elite female futsal teams were monitored during the whole season. Eight different variables were recorded when an injury happened, as well as exposure time. A total of 90 injuries were recorded so that 54 out of 89 players (60.6%) sustained an injury. The overall injury incidence was 5 injuries per 1000 h of futsal play exposure. Moderate injuries were the most frequent (1.7 injuries per 1000 h of futsal play exposure). The quadriceps and ankle were the regions where most injuries occurred. Contact injuries were more common during matches than training, and usually happened at the end of the season. Elite female futsal players are exposed to a substantial injury risk, especially on ankle and quadriceps with moderate severity, occurring at the end of the sessions, especially during matches. These results highlight the need of new preventive strategies to reduce the high injury incidence in female futsal players.

Barriers to physical activity participation in colorectal cancer patients during chemotherapy treatment: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: To explore the barriers that colorectal cancer patients (stage II and III) perceive to participate in physical activity (PA) when involved in adjuvant chemotherapy. Views of relatives and physicians concerning this issue were also included. METHOD: Qualitative data from ten patients, ten relatives, and ten health professionals were obtained through semi-structured interviews (n = 30). RESULTS: Two main themes were identified after data analysis: (a) barriers to PA related to ostomy and adjuvant chemotherapy and (b) barriers related to perceived lack of support for PA. In regard to the first theme, participants reported difficulties associated with the ostomy, limitations of the intravenous chemotherapy device, fatigue and reduced physical fitness, and focusing on cancer and restructuring priorities. Concerning the perceived lack of support for PA, participants referred to their families' overprotection, the health professionals' lack of knowledge and time to prescribe PA, and the lack of PA services in health centres. CONCLUSIONS: Further information from health professionals about the recommendations of PA and its benefits during adjuvant chemotherapy could palliate these PA barriers. The offer of specific PA programmes for these patients is also recommended.

Monitoring Workloads of a Professional Female Futsal Team over a Season: A Case Study.

The aims of this study were to describe the external and internal workloads in a professional female futsal team during a whole season and to compare workloads during different periods of the season. Ten professional female futsal players (age 22.8 ± 4.3 years; 5.1 ± 2.4 years of experience; weight 61.9 ± 7.1 kg; height 1.66 ± 0.06 m) participated voluntarily in this study during the whole season. The internal workload was measured by the session-Rate of perceived exertion (session-RPE) method, while the external workload was indirectly measured by considering the training and match volume and the type of contents of each session over 43 weeks. Mean sRPE throughout the season was 319.9 ± 127.1 arbitrary units (AU). Higher internal loads (total weekly training load and strain) were reported during the pre-season compared with the in-season mesocycles (p < 0.05); meanwhile, the fifth to eighth mesocycles of the in-season showed an oscillatory pattern. Finally, Monday was the most-demanding session during the in-season period over the Thursday (p < 0.05; effect size: 1.33) followed by match day, meanwhile no statistical differences were reported during different sessions of the pre-season microcycle (p > 0.05). This study suggests that microcycles of pre-season present a stable load pattern, meanwhile workloads during the in-season period report a tapering strategy in a professional female futsal team.

Perceptions of the technical staff of professional teams regarding injury prevention in Spanish national futsal leagues: a cross-sectional study.

Futsal is a sport with increasing popularity and level of performance, both in male and female categories. Also, there are several injuries along a season, so it is needed to know how to reduce this burden. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of technical staff on injury risk factors, risk testing and preventive measures, and the strategies used by them within professional male and female futsal teams. A cross-sectional study was designed during the 2017-2018 season. A total of 32 futsal teams involved in male and female Spanish national futsal leagues completed, through an online survey platform, a questionnaire about injury risk factors, risk testing and preventive measures. Findings showed that: (a) most teams reported enough human resources, but insufficient material and time resources, (b) the main risk factors detected were previous injuries, strength deficits and dehydration, (c) functional movement patterns, flexibility tests and self-report questionnaires were the most applied tests for detecting injury risks in their players and (d) most of the main preventive measures used by technical staff matched with the best valued by them. Technical staff defined properly the main risk factors in futsal performance, as well as they applied preventive strategies with scientific support. The information provided in this research could be of interest for sport scientists and technical staff when designing more accurate and efficient injury prevention programs in futsal.

Changes in Bariatric Patients' Physical Activity Levels and Health-Related Quality of Life Following a Postoperative Motivational Physical Activity Intervention.

PURPOSE: Self-determination theory (SDT) has been widely used as a useful motivational framework for improving long-term adherence to physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-month motivational PA intervention (MPAI) on bariatric patients' PA levels and HRQoL from pre-surgery to the end of the MPAI (7 months post-surgery). Additionally, a re-test was performed 13 months post-surgery. METHODS: A total of 40 participants undergoing sleeve gastrectomy were assigned to a 6-month MPAI or to a control group. The MPAI was based on techniques and messages from SDT. At baseline and post-intervention measures, both groups wore accelerometers for one week and completed the SF-36 questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 32 participants (78.1% female) completed all measures and were included in the final analyses. PA levels did not significantly differ between groups as a consequence of the intervention. Clinically significant differences (d ≥ 0.5) favoring the MPAI group were found for SF-36 domains of bodily pain (at pre-surgery, increasing at 7 and 13 months post-surgery), general health and vitality (7 months post-surgery), and physical functioning and physical component score (both 7 and 13 months post-surgery). Social functioning also showed clinically significant differences favoring the MPAI group at pre-surgery, increasing at 7 months post-surgery. These differences disappeared at 13 months post-surgery. CONCLUSIONS: SDT-based PA interventions could enhance several dimensions of bariatric patients' HRQoL after surgery. Further research is needed to understand what motivational processes are key aspects to promote PA participation in these patients.

Injury incidence, characteristics and burden among female sub-elite futsal players: a prospective study with three-year follow-up.

The main purpose of the current study was to analyze the injury incidence, characteristics and burden among sub-elite female futsal players. Individual exposure to match play and training, injury incidence and characteristics (player position, injury mechanism, type of injuries, severity of injuries, recurrent vs. new injuries, season variation of injury pattern) in a female futsal team were prospectively recorded for three consecutive seasons (2015-2018). Incidences were calculated per 1,000 h of exposure. A total of 30 injuries were reported during the three seasons within a total exposure of 4,446.1 h. The overall, match and training incidence of injuries were 6.7, 6.4 and 6.8 injuries/1,000 h of exposure, respectively. Most injuries had a non-contact mechanism (93%), with the lower extremity being the most frequently injured anatomical region (5.62 injuries/1,000 h of exposure). The most common type of injury was muscle/tendon (4.9 injuries/1,000 h of exposure) followed by joint (non-bone) and ligament (1.3 injuries/1,000 h of exposure). The injuries with the highest injury burden were those that occurred at the knee (31.9 days loss/1,000 h exposure), followed by quadriceps (15.3 day loss/1,000 h) and hamstring (14.4 day loss/1,000 h) strains. The first few weeks of competition after pre-season and soon after the Christmas break were the time points when most injuries occurred. These data indicate that sub-elite female futsal players are exposed to a substantial risk of sustaining an injury. To reduce overall injury burden, efforts should be directed toward the design, implementation and assessment of preventative measures that target the most common diagnoses, namely, muscle/tendon and ligament injuries.

Exploring the socio-ecological factors behind the (in)active lifestyles of Spanish post-bariatric surgery patients.

Purpose: Physical activity (PA) is considered essential for the treatment of morbid obesity and the optimization of bariatric surgery outcomes. The objective of this article was to identify the facilitators and barriers that bariatric patients perceived to do PA one year after finishing a PA programme for the promotion of a long-term active lifestyle. This objective was addressed from a socio-ecological and qualitative perspective. Methods: Nine patients (eight women and one man), aged between 31 and 59 years, participated in semi-structured interviews directly following the PA programme and one year after it. A content analysis was carried out to analyze the qualitative data. Results: Weight loss, improvement of physical fitness, perceived competence, and enjoyment were the main facilitators of PA. Complexes related to skin folds, osteoarthritis, perceived unfavourable weather conditions, lack of social support and economic resources, long workdays, lack of specific PA programmes, and other passive leisure preferences were the main barriers to participate in PA. Conclusions: Results highlight the important interplay between personal, social environmental, and physical environmental factors to explain (in)active behaviours of bariatric patients. The findings of this article could be useful for future research and interventions aimed at promoting PA in bariatric patients.

Validity of the "Samsung Health" application to measure steps: A study with two different samsung smartphones.

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of a highly popular pedometer application (Samsung Health). Sixteen adults (28.8 ± 8.9 years of age) wore two Samsung smartphone models, Samsung Galaxy Core Prime (SGCP) and Samsung Galaxy S4 (SGS4), at three body locations (waist, arm, and hand) while walking and running over a 50-m test. All trials were recorded using a video as a gold standard measure of step counts. Results indicated that the validity of Samsung Health varied depending on the smartphone model, its body location, and the type of gait (walking and running). Samsung Health showed acceptable validity when the SGCP was located on the hand (Bias = -8.3%; RMSE = 5.6), and especially on the arm (Bias = -7.2%; RMSE = 4.9) while running, and when the SGS4 was located on the arm (Bias = -7.5%; RMSE = 5.4), and especially on the waist (Bias = 5.4%; RMSE = 3.7) while walking. Samsung Health only showed good validity when the SGS4 was located on the arm (Bias = 2.9%; RMSE = 3.6), and especially on the hand (Bias = 0.5%; RMSE = 2.5) while running. This application showed unacceptable validity in the remaining options.