Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes special report study entitled: On climbing facilities. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes special report study entitled : On climbing facilities. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 91 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-86).

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

It is imperative that individuals with physical impairments maintain an active lifestyle to enhance various aspects of well-being and overall quality of life. This population, however, are also one of the most sedentary in society. One identified reason for this is the ableism which exists in many fitness establishments that promotes acceptance of one particular body; the strong, physically athletic, muscular body is given value. Individuals who do not align to his particular physical reality may be subject to discrimination which can have a detrimental effect on their psycho-emotional well-being and deter them from exercising. Surprisingly, there is an increasing number of disabled individuals who are becoming gym instructors and further integrating themselves into a space which is deemed to oppress them. The purpose of this PhD is to explore these individuals' journey from gym clients to gym instructors. Framed by interpretivism and with particular focus on narrative inquiry, various qualitative analysis techniques were applied to explore 1) participants experiences exercising in the gym, 2) participants' motivations to be gym instructors, 3) how participants made sense of their gym instructor training and, 4)what impact participants perceived they had in the gym as instructors. This thesis has made original contributions to the literature by crafting a deep understanding of disabled people s experiences in the gym and why people enact social missions. For example, this thesis contextualizes disability in the gym and identifies that despite the numerous health benefits disabled people experience by exercising in this space, the psycho-emotional disablism they are subject to acts as a barrier for individuals to exercise here. Importantly, although disablism acted as a barrier to continued exercise for participants, it was also a facilitator in their decision to become a gym instructor. Essentially, participants described their own negative gym experiences as fuelling their desires to enact positive change in this space and do social missions in the gym. To be a gym instructor, participants went through a training programme specifically designed to train disabled people to embody this role. At this training, participants initially experienced a sense of validation and belonging through peer group exercise and were able to craft a collective story which allowed them to resist the oppressive disablism they experienced in the gym. However, as training continued and evolved so too did the narratives participants crafted to make sense of their experiences. Instead of one united story, participants crafted two conflicting narratives which redefined their relationship with each other and InstructAbility, and ultimately determined why some participants continued their training and others did not. For those who did continue to become fully qualified gym instructors, they felt they had a positive influence in promoting inclusion, exercise and diversity in the gym. In light of these findings, there are several practical recommendations for exercise practitioners, rehabilitation specialists, gym managers and those prescribing exercise to disabled people. Implications are aimed at improving exercise promotion and experiences of exercise in the gym for disabled people. For example, disabled gym instructors could be a way to bridge the perceived experiential gap between disability and the gym as they exhibit an alternate way of being which is accepted in this space. Through their experiential knowledge of disability and practical knowledge of exercise, these individuals can also relate to disabled clients in a way that non-disabled instructors cannot. Disabled gym instructors, however, can educate non-disabled gym instructors in how to train someone with an impairment. Equally, a more critical attitude to promoting exercise to disabled people is called for. Specifically, to steer away from disabling expectations and narratives of disabled people s motivations to exercise and move towards more realistic, enabling strategies and narratives to facilitate disabled peoples exercise behaviour.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

This reports conducts a situational and financial analysis in order to strategically position a gym within the competitive landscape of Santa Clara, California. This report includes an executive summary, description of products, marketing & an operational plan as well as financial forecasts for the first year. It is the purpose of this report to consider as many relevant factors as possible to compile and more complete and accurate business plan. / text

Pesquisas sobre motivação, com indivíduos de diferentes faixas etárias e em variados contextos esportivos, têm recebido destaque na literatura relacionada ao esporte, notadamente aquela relacionada à Psicologia do Esporte. A questão central dessa pesquisa é avaliar diferentes dimensões motivacionais associadas à pratica regular de atividades físicas com praticantes em academias de ginástica do município de Porto Alegre/RS. Foram definidas seis dimensões motivacionais associadas à prática regular de atividade física: Controle de Estresse, Saúde, Sociabilidade, Competitividade, Estética e Prazer. Mais especificamente, o estudo procurou verificar a existência (ou não) de diferenças estatisticamente significativas (p < 0,05) entre os índices motivacionais destas seis dimensões, controlando-se as seguintes variáveis: “Sexo”, “Grupo de Idade”, “Treinamento”, “Tempo de Prática”, “Freqüência de Prática” e “Modalidade”. O IMPRAF-126 (BALBINOTTI, 2003) foi respondido por 300 praticantes de ginástica em academias de Porto Alegre, de ambos os sexos e com idades variando entre 18 e 65 anos. Constatou-se que a dimensão que mais os motiva é a Saúde seguida, respectivamente, pelas dimensões Prazer, Estética, Controle de Estresse, Sociabilidade e Competitividade. Explica-se esse resultado quando identificamos o fator motivacional Saúde relacionado com a melhoria da aptidão física, com o incremento da vitalidade, com a diminuição de fatores de riscos para doenças, e ganhos na qualidade de vida. Quanto maior a faixa etária dos sujeitos pesquisados, maior foi o “valor” atribuído à dimensão Saúde. Outros importantes resultados estão apresentados e discutidos. Conclui-se que a motivação dos sujeitos testados se origina, predominantemente, por suas motivações extrínsecas. Novas pesquisas são importantes para que se possa melhor mapear as dimensões motivacionais de diferentes praticantes, de acordo com suas atividades físicas regulares. / Researches about motivation with individuals from different ages in a variety of sportive contexts, has got distinction in literature related to sport, especially in the one related to sport psychology. The purpose of this study is to explore and evaluate different motivational dimensions associated to regular physical activities practice in gym users in the city of Porto Alegre. Six motivational dimensions associated to the regular practice of physical activities were observed: stress control, health, sociability, competitive, esthetics and pleasure. More specifically, this study pretended to verify significant statistical differences (p< 0,05) between the motivational rates from the six dimensions and controlled variables: “gender”, “group age”, “training”, “practice time”, “frequency time” and “modality”. The IMPRAF-126 (Balbinotti, 2003) was answered by 300 gymnastics users, from Porto Alegre gyms, of both genders and ages between 18 and 65 years old. The research established that the dimension that mainly motivated them is health followed, respectively, by pleasure, esthetics, stress control, sociability and competitive. The results are explained when identifying the motivational factor health related with the improvement of physical capacity, increasing vitality, decreasing risk factors to diseases and quality life gain. It is perceived that the higher was the age of participants, the higher was the value related to health. The results of this study suggest that the participants’ motivation begins, predominantly, from their extrinsic motivation. Additional studies are important in order to acknowledge better the motivational dimensions in different users according to their regular physical activities.

Pesquisas sobre motivação, com indivíduos de diferentes faixas etárias e em variados contextos esportivos, têm recebido destaque na literatura relacionada ao esporte, notadamente aquela relacionada à Psicologia do Esporte. A questão central dessa pesquisa é avaliar diferentes dimensões motivacionais associadas à pratica regular de atividades físicas com praticantes em academias de ginástica do município de Porto Alegre/RS. Foram definidas seis dimensões motivacionais associadas à prática regular de atividade física: Controle de Estresse, Saúde, Sociabilidade, Competitividade, Estética e Prazer. Mais especificamente, o estudo procurou verificar a existência (ou não) de diferenças estatisticamente significativas (p < 0,05) entre os índices motivacionais destas seis dimensões, controlando-se as seguintes variáveis: “Sexo”, “Grupo de Idade”, “Treinamento”, “Tempo de Prática”, “Freqüência de Prática” e “Modalidade”. O IMPRAF-126 (BALBINOTTI, 2003) foi respondido por 300 praticantes de ginástica em academias de Porto Alegre, de ambos os sexos e com idades variando entre 18 e 65 anos. Constatou-se que a dimensão que mais os motiva é a Saúde seguida, respectivamente, pelas dimensões Prazer, Estética, Controle de Estresse, Sociabilidade e Competitividade. Explica-se esse resultado quando identificamos o fator motivacional Saúde relacionado com a melhoria da aptidão física, com o incremento da vitalidade, com a diminuição de fatores de riscos para doenças, e ganhos na qualidade de vida. Quanto maior a faixa etária dos sujeitos pesquisados, maior foi o “valor” atribuído à dimensão Saúde. Outros importantes resultados estão apresentados e discutidos. Conclui-se que a motivação dos sujeitos testados se origina, predominantemente, por suas motivações extrínsecas. Novas pesquisas são importantes para que se possa melhor mapear as dimensões motivacionais de diferentes praticantes, de acordo com suas atividades físicas regulares. / Researches about motivation with individuals from different ages in a variety of sportive contexts, has got distinction in literature related to sport, especially in the one related to sport psychology. The purpose of this study is to explore and evaluate different motivational dimensions associated to regular physical activities practice in gym users in the city of Porto Alegre. Six motivational dimensions associated to the regular practice of physical activities were observed: stress control, health, sociability, competitive, esthetics and pleasure. More specifically, this study pretended to verify significant statistical differences (p< 0,05) between the motivational rates from the six dimensions and controlled variables: “gender”, “group age”, “training”, “practice time”, “frequency time” and “modality”. The IMPRAF-126 (Balbinotti, 2003) was answered by 300 gymnastics users, from Porto Alegre gyms, of both genders and ages between 18 and 65 years old. The research established that the dimension that mainly motivated them is health followed, respectively, by pleasure, esthetics, stress control, sociability and competitive. The results are explained when identifying the motivational factor health related with the improvement of physical capacity, increasing vitality, decreasing risk factors to diseases and quality life gain. It is perceived that the higher was the age of participants, the higher was the value related to health. The results of this study suggest that the participants’ motivation begins, predominantly, from their extrinsic motivation. Additional studies are important in order to acknowledge better the motivational dimensions in different users according to their regular physical activities.

Pesquisas sobre motivação, com indivíduos de diferentes faixas etárias e em variados contextos esportivos, têm recebido destaque na literatura relacionada ao esporte, notadamente aquela relacionada à Psicologia do Esporte. A questão central dessa pesquisa é avaliar diferentes dimensões motivacionais associadas à pratica regular de atividades físicas com praticantes em academias de ginástica do município de Porto Alegre/RS. Foram definidas seis dimensões motivacionais associadas à prática regular de atividade física: Controle de Estresse, Saúde, Sociabilidade, Competitividade, Estética e Prazer. Mais especificamente, o estudo procurou verificar a existência (ou não) de diferenças estatisticamente significativas (p < 0,05) entre os índices motivacionais destas seis dimensões, controlando-se as seguintes variáveis: “Sexo”, “Grupo de Idade”, “Treinamento”, “Tempo de Prática”, “Freqüência de Prática” e “Modalidade”. O IMPRAF-126 (BALBINOTTI, 2003) foi respondido por 300 praticantes de ginástica em academias de Porto Alegre, de ambos os sexos e com idades variando entre 18 e 65 anos. Constatou-se que a dimensão que mais os motiva é a Saúde seguida, respectivamente, pelas dimensões Prazer, Estética, Controle de Estresse, Sociabilidade e Competitividade. Explica-se esse resultado quando identificamos o fator motivacional Saúde relacionado com a melhoria da aptidão física, com o incremento da vitalidade, com a diminuição de fatores de riscos para doenças, e ganhos na qualidade de vida. Quanto maior a faixa etária dos sujeitos pesquisados, maior foi o “valor” atribuído à dimensão Saúde. Outros importantes resultados estão apresentados e discutidos. Conclui-se que a motivação dos sujeitos testados se origina, predominantemente, por suas motivações extrínsecas. Novas pesquisas são importantes para que se possa melhor mapear as dimensões motivacionais de diferentes praticantes, de acordo com suas atividades físicas regulares. / Researches about motivation with individuals from different ages in a variety of sportive contexts, has got distinction in literature related to sport, especially in the one related to sport psychology. The purpose of this study is to explore and evaluate different motivational dimensions associated to regular physical activities practice in gym users in the city of Porto Alegre. Six motivational dimensions associated to the regular practice of physical activities were observed: stress control, health, sociability, competitive, esthetics and pleasure. More specifically, this study pretended to verify significant statistical differences (p< 0,05) between the motivational rates from the six dimensions and controlled variables: “gender”, “group age”, “training”, “practice time”, “frequency time” and “modality”. The IMPRAF-126 (Balbinotti, 2003) was answered by 300 gymnastics users, from Porto Alegre gyms, of both genders and ages between 18 and 65 years old. The research established that the dimension that mainly motivated them is health followed, respectively, by pleasure, esthetics, stress control, sociability and competitive. The results are explained when identifying the motivational factor health related with the improvement of physical capacity, increasing vitality, decreasing risk factors to diseases and quality life gain. It is perceived that the higher was the age of participants, the higher was the value related to health. The results of this study suggest that the participants’ motivation begins, predominantly, from their extrinsic motivation. Additional studies are important in order to acknowledge better the motivational dimensions in different users according to their regular physical activities.