Perceived Exertion and Affect From Tai Chi, Yoga, and Stretching Classes for Elderly Women.

Tai Chi, yoga, and stretching regimens are gaining popularity as alternatives to more traditional exercise, but there is scant research regarding participants' perceived exertion and affective responses to these practices. We compared experienced states of perceived exertion, feelings of pleasure/displeasure, and arousal in 70 elderly women enrolled in groups of Tai Chi ( n = 26), yoga ( n = 25), or stretching ( n = 19) classes. Mean rates of perceived exertion, feelings of pleasure, and arousal responses were significantly higher over the time course of all three groups, while the overall mean perceived exertion ( Somewhat Hard on the Borg CR-10 scale) and pleasure responses (∼ Very Good on the Feeling Scale) were similar between them. The circumplex model of affect showed that changes occurred in the high-activation pleasure quadrant (energy on the Felt Arousal Scale). From a practical perspective, the exercise intensity and affective responses elicited during these classes made participants feel good and infused with energy, likely creating a positive memory and reinforcing continued physical activity participation.

Physiological, Perceptual, and Affective Responses to Six High-Intensity Interval Training Protocols.

This study examined the extent to which different high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprint interval training (SIT) protocols could influence psychophysiological responses in moderately active young men. Fourteen participants completed, in a randomized order, three cycling protocols (SIT: 4 × 30-second all-out sprints; Tabata: 7 × 20 seconds at 170% ⋮O2max; and HIIT: 10 × 60 seconds at 90% HRmax) and three running HIIT protocols (4 × 4 minutes at 90%-95% HRmax, 5 × at v⋮O2max, and 4 × 1,000 meters at a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of 8, from the OMNI-Walk/Run scale). Oxygen uptake (⋮O2), heart rate, and RPE were recorded during each interval. Affective responses were assessed before and after each trial. The Tabata protocol elicited the highest ⋮O2 and RPE responses, and the least pleasant session-affect among the cycling trials. The v⋮O2max elicited the highest ⋮O2 and RPE responses and the lowest mean session-affect among the running trials. Findings highlight the limited application of SIT and some HIIT protocols to individuals with low fitness levels.