Despite extensive research into shift work, workers working under rotating shift conditions are still plagued by the effects of the desynchronisation resulting from working against their natural circadian rhythms. Additionally, modern industries are shifting towards tasks requiring greater cognitive demand with less manual labour incorporated into the tasks. Research into operator based tasks, and hence those of a sedentary cognitive base both during day and night shifts, has been focusing on the effectiveness of the standard rest/break schedule. Research indicating that the standard rest break schedule is often ineffective in eliminating operator discomfort and performance deterioration, with these affects argued to be more pronounced during a night shift schedule. Therefore current research set out to investigate alternative rest break schedules, incorporating a short bout of physical activity and stretching exercises which are proposed to enhance performance and subjective mood, while eliminating operator discomfort for sedentary based cognitive tasks. Three conditions were tested during a three day habituation shift cycle within a laboratory, incorporating two night shift groups (control and experimental) and a control day shift group. Twelve subjects made up each group, with the two night shift groups completing the shift schedule together. The control groups followed a typical 8 hour shift schedule while the experimental group performed a booster break (exercise and stretches) activity for 7.5 minutes every hour during the night shift schedule. Over the course of the shift, subjects completed a battery of six tests providing data on physiological measurements (heart rate and temperature), performance criteria (reaction time responses, memory and neurobiological) and subjective measures. Responses obtained for all the different parameters measured indicated a strong circadian influence for the majority of the variables, indicating the course of natural down regulation within physiological and performance criteria over the night shift. The booster break significantly improved reaction time performance, subjective ratings and resulted in a high sustainable activity level. Day shift comparisons indicating that within subjective measures and reaction time performance, the booster break resulted in similar responses to those of the day shift workers, while the control night shift groups reported significantly lowers results. Additionally, the booster break had positive influences during the circadian nadir, significantly improving parameters of performance and subjective ratings of sleepiness. The results of this study indicating which variables are strong predictors and indicators of the oscillations in performance and subjective ratings due to the circadian changes. The booster break interventions had positive effects on subjective ratings and reaction time performance, while also being argued to decrease the burden placed on the cardiac system as a result of increased sympathetic tone during the night shift, while additionally resulting in similar responses to those of day shift workers. Further studies are required, however, to provide conclusive evidence particularly within a working situation over a longer shift schedule.

The stages of motivational readiness to change leisure time physical activity behavior of students from two Mississippi community colleges were investigated. The Stages of Motivational Readiness to Change (SMRC) model postulates that behavior change is a longitudinal process described by five stages that assess an individual?s motivational level relative to changing leisure time physical activity behavior. That is, individuals are positioned in one of the following five stages at any given point in time: (a) precontemplation (i.e., no intention to change); (b) contemplation (i.e., considering a change); (c) preparation (i.e., small changes already made toward an ultimate behavior goal); (d) action (i.e., a desired behavior has been adopted); or (e) maintenance (i.e., working to prevent a relapse). The Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire (PASQ) was used for data collection in this study. The results revealed 35% were completely sedentary (precontemplation, contemplation) and 64.9% were participating in occasional or regular leisure time physical activity (preparation, action, maintenance). To examine the dependency of stage position upon ethnicity, gender, age, and income, the chi-square test of independence was performed. Findings indicated stage position to be independent of ethnicity, but dependent upon the remaining independent variables. This study?s conclusions indicated that stage-matched interventions are necessary to increase and maintain individual leisure time physical activity behavior.

The purpose of this research was to investigate if various psychological wellbeing assessments can predict maximal strength performance and self-scored rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in the back squat. Fifty-eight resistance-trained males and females were recruited, and reported to the laboratory on one day. Subjects completed eight different scales and questionnaires before completing one-repetition maximum (1RM) testing of the squat, followed by two single-repetition sets at 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% of 1RM, and a set to volitional fatigue at 70% of 1RM. Cognitive anxiety and hypersomnia were found to be positive and negative predictors (p<0.05), respectively, of 1RM performance. Further, self-confidence, grit, and perceived recovery status were significant negative predictors of RPE (p<0.05). Finally, PRS was discovered to be a positive predictor of subject-reported 1RM self-efficacy (b=0.39, t=3.14, p<0.01, R2=0.15). / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between green environments and resilience in older adults. It had two aims: 1) to explore the effect of a reflective garden walking program on resilience and three of its related concepts - erceived stress, personal growth initiative, and quality of life - in older adults, and 2) to explore the resilience patterns of older adults engaging in the reflective garden walking intervention. A parallel mixed method design using a quasi-experimental quantitative and a descriptive exploratory qualitative approach was used. Participants engaged in a six week reflective garden walking program. By the end of the program, resilience levels exhibited a slight increase and perceived stress levels a decrease. The qualitative data supported some beneficial effects of the reflective garden walking program, but also indicated that much of the participants' experience of resilience may have been related to the rich social and nature-filled environment in which already they lived. Patterns of resilience that appeared in the data were maintaining a positive attitude, belief in one's self in the face of one's vulnerabilities, woven into the social fabric, purpose and meaning, personal strength, and communities for growing older. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Tang Chi-wing, Wendy = 飲品味道對炎熱中運動的華籍男女小童之體液平衡及體温調節之影響 / 鄧稚穎. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-86). / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / Tang Chi-wing, Wendy = Yin pin wei dao dui yan re zhong yun dong de hua ji nan nü xiao tong zhi ti ye ping heng ji ti wen diao jie zhi ying xiang / Deng Zhiying. / Dedication --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.ii / Abstract --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.vi / List of Tables --- p.viii / List of Figure --- p.ix / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purpose of the Study --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Hypotheses --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Definition of Terms --- p.6 / Chapter 1.5 --- Assumptions --- p.7 / Chapter 1.6 --- Delimitations --- p.7 / Chapter 1.7 --- Limitations --- p.8 / Chapter 1.8 --- Significance of Study --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- REVIEW OF LITERATURE --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- Water Balance during Exercise --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- Effect of Dehydration on Human Body during Exercise --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3 --- Physiological Responses of Dehydration for Children when Exercising in the Heat --- p.17 / Chapter 2.4 --- Effect of Fluid Ingestion during Exercise --- p.20 / Chapter 2.5 --- Drivers of Fluid Replacement --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- METHODOLOGY --- p.30 / Chapter 3.1 --- Participants --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2 --- Equipment and Instrumentation --- p.31 / Chapter 3.3 --- Preliminary Measurement --- p.31 / Chapter 3.4 --- Study Design and Procedures --- p.35 / Chapter 3.5 --- Collection and Analysis of Blood Samples --- p.44 / Chapter 3.6 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.44 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- RESULTS --- p.46 / Chapter 4.1 --- Exercise Intensity --- p.46 / Chapter 4.2 --- Body Fluid Balance --- p.50 / Chapter 4.3 --- Thermoregulatory Responses --- p.61 / Chapter 4.4 --- Taste Perception Analysis --- p.62 / Chapter 4.5 --- Summary of the Results --- p.66 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- DISCUSSION --- p.67 / Recommendations and Applications --- p.73 / REFERENCES --- p.74 / APPENDIXES --- p.87

This paper examines the following three concepts: development, shalom and sport. It is the findings of this paper that a holistic understanding of the Biblical concept of shalom, provides an appropriate, Christian premise for examining existing development initiatives and for informing intended development praxis. Furthermore the paper argues that sport is a morally neutral activity, which can have positive influences for society, and is a very effective tool that can be used to pursue a shalom-informed form of development. This is true, regardless of the fact that sport can often be corrupted with negative results. Finally, sport can aid the church in many ways. In particular, sport is a constructive tool for the church to use with regard to friendship-building, cross-cultural relations and church unity. Furthermore, since the church is a major player in the field of development, when the church uses sport to accomplish the above, development is enhanced. Also, the church can help be a moral voice to the areas of sport that are corrupt and it can support initiatives that provide preventative incentives to negative elements within society. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

Previous research has established a relationship between exercise and cognition, with more emphasis on this ascertained link, being made on the effects of long term and endurance exercise on cognition. However, enhanced worker effectiveness relies on a strong acute collaboration of physical and cognitive performance during task execution. As a result, the purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of extended aerobic exercise on visual perception, working memory and motor responses, and to achieve this 24 participants (12 males and 12 females) aged between 18 and 24 participated in a 2 bout cycling exercise. The experimental condition had cycling resistance set at 60 percent of each individual’s maximum aerobic output and the control condition had zero cycling resistance, where three cognitive tasks were performed at 10 minute intervals during the cycling exercise. The results showed that exercise did not affect any significant changes on the cognitive performance measures over the entire cycling duration, as well as during the exercise phase (cycling with resistance). However, visual perception improved significantly (p<0.05) immediately after exercise. This led to the conclusion that moderate to high intensity exercise when performed for an extended duration, has selective effects on certain cognitive performance measures, with the time at which the performance is measured during the exercise being a relevant factor to be considered for maximum activation effects of the exercise.

Little research has examined the role of physical activity in relationship functioning. Utilizing two heterosexual subsamples of 618 females and 155 males, results indicated that physical activity was positively correlated with sexual satisfaction and self-esteem for the female subsample, but was not significant for the male subsample. For both subsamples, although physical activity was not a significant unique predictor of relationship functioning in regression analyses, sexual satisfaction and self-esteem each significantly contributed the variance relationship functioning. The findings of this study increase our knowledge of mechanisms that impact sexual satisfaction, self-esteem, and physical activity among women, which in turn can potentially guide treatment planning and interventions.

Physical activity has been demonstrated in the literature as an effective way to reduce the risk for development of chronic disease. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change has been developed as a means to predict and facilitate movement into healthier lifestyle behaviors. The model is centered on "stages of change", which describe a continuum of readiness to engage in a health behavior change. Stages contain temporal, qualitative, and quantitative characteristics. This was a six-month study that evaluated the effectiveness of stage-matched (theorized to be pertaining only to the maintenance stage of change) vs. generic (theorized to be pertaining to anyone, regardless of stage) newsletters in assisting subjects to attain the Maintenance stage of change. It also sought to identify further qualitative characteristics that can differentiate between the Action and Maintenance stages of change. Results indicated that monthly stage-matched newsletters were no more effective in helping subjects reaching Maintenance than were the generic newsletters. Exerciser self-schema was related to stages of change, but those relationships differed from baseline to six-month follow-up, indicating development of exerciser self-schema during the study period. Implications of this are discussed. Other concepts discussed included "structure" of change process, in that three new scores were developed and correlated with self-efficacy as well as intercorrelated. Motivation was also evaluated and compared across levels of success at adhering to exercise during a three-month period. Limitations of the study and implications are discussed.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Stroke is a sudden and devastating medical condition. People who experience a stroke tend to have long-term physical limitations including impaired walking as part of the ongoing consequences of stroke. While a variety of rehabilitation interventions have demonstrated efficacy for improving walking after stroke, none of the interventions have emerged as superior, and prior to this study, therapeutic-yoga had not been tested as an intervention to improve walking recovery after stroke. METHODS: This study was a secondary data analysis of group therapeutic-yoga on walking recovery measures including walking speed, walking distance, and spatiotemporal step parameter symmetry. The walking recovery measures were collected as secondary outcomes in a sub-sample (n=12) in a pilot randomized controlled study (n=47) designed to test the efficacy of 8-weeks of group therapeutic-yoga on balance and fear of falling. Participants in the current study completed 12-weeks of group therapeutic yoga with outcome assessments at baseline, 8-weeks, and 12-weeks. The main analysis was repeated measures ANOVA to assess the main effect of time with additional analyses including effect sizes, percent of participants achieving change greater than or equal to minimal detectable change (MDC), and mean change score comparisons between baseline and 8-weeks, 8-weeks and 12-weeks, and baseline and 12-weeks. RESULTS: Twelve people with chronic stroke enrolled in the study with 9 completing the intervention and all 3 assessments. No significant main effect of time was found on any of the variables of interest. Walking distance demonstrated a trend toward significant change (p=0.064) and step length symmetry demonstrated significant change (p=0.05) between baseline and 12-weeks. Several spatiotemporal step parameter symmetry ratios demonstrated small to medium effect sizes with the majority (91%) being a negative effect. CONCLUSION: Twelve weeks of group therapeutic-yoga appears to be feasible in a population of people with chronic stroke. Walking distance and step parameter symmetry should be tested in a larger sample. An improved understanding of the impact, progression, and remediation of walking asymmetry is needed.