Stress and life dissatisfaction are inversely associated with jogging and other types of physical activity in leisure time-The Copenhagen City Heart Study

The associations between physical activity in leisure time with special focus on jogging and the level of mental stress and life dissatisfaction were studied in 12 028 randomly selected men and women aged 20-79 years. The associations were similar in men and women; thus, results are given for pooled data. The odds ratios (ORs) are presented as adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, education and income. With increasing physical activity in leisure time, there was a decrease in high level of stress, between sedentary persons and joggers, OR=0.30 (95% confidence interval (CI) from 0.16 to 0.56). With increasing physical activity there was also a decrease in life dissatisfaction, between sedentary persons and joggers, OR=0.30 (95% CI from 0.18 to 0.52). Although there was a dose-response effect between physical activity and psychosocial well-being the most pronounced difference with regard to the level of stress and dissatisfaction was seen between the group with low and the group with moderate physical activity, e.g., 2-4 h of walking per week. In conclusion, we recommend that increased well-being should be a key argument in future campaigns for increased leisure-time physical activity.

Stage of motivational readiness: predictive ability for exercise behavior

OBJECTIVE

To determine if stage of motivational readiness for exercise predicted adherence to a 9-month exercise intervention.

METHODS

Three hundred forty-two individuals were randomized into a diet and physical activity trial. The exercise goal was to complete or add at least 10 miles of weekly brisk walking or jogging. Adherence was determined from logs.

RESULTS

Sixty-four percent of men and 34% of women reported an increase of at least 10 miles per week. Adherence did not differ by baseline exercise motivational readiness stage.

CONCLUSIONS

Future work should determine in what contexts stage-targeted interventions are most successful for adoption and maintenance of physical activity.

An examination of situational interest and its sources

BACKGROUND

Situational interest is articulated theoretically as a construct associated with five dimensional sources: novelty, challenge, attention demand, exploration intention, and instant enjoyment.

AIMS

This study aimed to examine the influence of the dimensional sources on situational interest. It was hypothesised that the dimensional sources function differently to contribute to situational interest and that the influence of a source might be mediated by others.

SAMPLE

Two samples of 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students were used in the study. There were 281 students (57% male, 43% female) in the first sample and 191 (47% male, 53% female) in the second.

METHOD

Students in Sample A evaluated situational interest and the dimensional sources in tasks of analysing jogging and gymnastic stunts on video. Those in Sample B evaluated them in tasks of learning basketball. Correlation and regression analyses and path analyses were used to test the theoretical model.

RESULTS

Instant Enjoyment determined situational interest. Exploration and Novelty had positive influences on situational interest via enhancing Instant Enjoyment. Challenge showed little influence. The path analyses for both samples confirmed the inter-dimensional mediation effects of the sources.

CONCLUSION

The analysed data support the hypotheses. The dimensional sources had unequal influences on situational interest and the mediation effects among themselves at times strengthened or weakened each other's influences. The findings suggest that to increase situational interest, educators should offer students ample exploratory opportunities during student-task interaction that can lead to instant enjoyment for learning.

Effect of aerobic exercise on behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine and to ipsapirone in untrained healthy subjects

RATIONALE

Several clinical studies suggest antidepressive and anxiolytic effects of regular aerobic exercise.

OBJECTIVES

The present study examines the effects of a 10-week protocol of moderate aerobic exercise (3-4 miles jogging 3 times per week) on central serotonergic receptor sensitivity.

METHODS

Neuroendocrine challenges using oral doses of meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP; 0.4 mg/kg), ipsapirone (0.3 mg/kg), and placebo were performed in 12 untrained healthy volunteers before and after 10 weeks of moderate aerobic exercise.

RESULTS

Before training, administration of the non-selective serotonergic agonist m-CPP, which exerts a number of well-reproducible effects mainly via its action on 5-HT2C receptors, was associated with a significant increase of cortisol and prolactin (but not adrenaline or noradrenaline) in comparison with the placebo condition. After the 10-week training period, administration of m-CPP was followed by a blunted cortisol response which was not significantly increased in comparison to the placebo challenge. In contrast, the increases of cortisol observed after administration of the 5-HT1A agonist ipsapirone were of the same magnitude during the pre- and post-training challenge sessions. The behavioral response to ipsapirone and the mean maximal increases of plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline did not change during the training period.

CONCLUSIONS

Regular aerobic exercise is associated with a blunted cortisol response to m-CPP, which might reflect a downregulation of central 5-HT2C receptors.

Relation of low and moderate intensity exercise with acute mood change in college joggers

This study investigated a possible relationship between exercise intensity and mood alteration that commonly is associated with physical activity. 91 college students completed the Profile of Mood States before and after 20 min. of jogging at three intensities: 55%, 75%, and 79% of age-adjusted maximum heart rate on different occasions. Exercisers also completed a demographic inventory, a Lie Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Contrary to our expectations, the interaction between exercise intensity and pre-post mood benefits was not significant. Supporting the manipulation of exercise intensity, the univariate interaction between exercise intensity and pre-post exercise scores on Fatigue was significant. Joggers reported short-term mood benefits on the combined subscales of the Profile of Mood States, and each subscale contributed to the benefits. Thus, regardless of the low- or moderate-intensity, participants reported that they "felt better" after exercising.

Assumptions about fitness and exercise among elderly persons

There may be differential benefits from regular exercise for elderly persons, and their rationales about exercise can influence the likelihood that they will do it. 98 elderly persons (29 men, M age = 66.3 yr., SD = 9.1, Range = 51-90 and 69 women, M age = 72.7 yr., SD = 10.3, Range = 53-94) were given two self-report surveys of 13 items each consisting of statements about jogging, not jogging, or engaging in other forms of exercise. Only one man and one woman completed the "reasons for jogging" form, while 96 elderly persons completed the "reasons for not jogging" form. A two-way (repeated-measures) analysis of variance indicated a significant main effect for differences among 10 items dealing with "reasons for not jogging." These reasons included engaging in another form of aerobic activity (such as walking), having a health condition that prevented jogging, and jogging as too uncomfortable.

The differential and temporal effects of antecedent exercise on the self-stimulatory behavior of a child with autism

The effects of two levels of exercise (walking versus jogging) in suppressing the self-stimulatory behavior of a five-year-old boy with autism were examined. The exercise conditions were applied immediately before periods of academic programming. Maladaptive self-stimulatory behaviors were separately tracked, enabling identification of behaviors that were more susceptible to change (e.g., physical self-stimulation and "out of seat" behavior) versus those that were more resistant (e.g., visual self-stimulation). Examination of temporal effects indicated a decrease in physical self-stimulation and "out of seat" behavior, but only for the jogging condition. In addition, sharp reductions in these behaviors were observed immediately following the jogging intervention and gradually increased but did not return to baseline levels over a 40 min period. Implications for further research and clinical intervention are discussed.

Physiological and psychological responses to eccentric exercise

In order to compare the physiological and psychological responses to various levels of eccentric exercise, 7 active men (25 +/- 5 yrs) exercised for 60 min on separate days at 60% of apparatus specific VO2 max using downhill jogging (-5% 60DH), level jogging (60J), and cycling (60C). Virtually all of the responses to 60DH fell between 60J and 60C. Heart rate, O2 pulse, and respiratory exchange ratio were significantly different among modes, with the responses during 60DH falling between those during 60J and 60C. Fat energy expenditure during the 60-min exercise bout was significantly higher during 60J, followed by 60DH and then 60C. Ratings of perceived exertion followed the order of 60C > 60DH > 60J. Vigor and fatigue scores on the Profile of Mood States also followed a hierarchy that paralleled the physiological responses. These results suggest that downhill jogging elicits physiological and psychological responses that are between those elicited by level jogging and cycling.

Cognitive strategies and personality variables in adherence to exercise

Variables associated with adherence to a 6-wk jogging program were examined in a group of 26 ++sedentary women, who received instruction and reinforcement for their efforts: one group of 16 received instruction in cognitive self-statements; the other group of 10 did not. Measures included a battery of psychological questionnaires, percentage of body fat, weight, height, and distance run in a 12-min. test. Subjects maintained logs in which they recorded frequency and duration of exercise. Follow-up data were collected at 6-wk. and 6=mo. postprogram. Initial compliance was related to scores on the Self-motivation Inventory, the Type H (Hard-driving) scale of the Jenkins Activity Survey, and the State Anxiety Scale. At 6-mo. follow-up, none of the measures were significantly correlated with exercise frequency.