Objective: To determine the effects on energy expenditure, health and fitness outcomes in sedentary older adults aged 55-65 after 6-month participation in the GALM program.
Methods: In three Dutch communities, subjects from matched neighbourhoods were assigned to an intervention (n = 79) or a waiting-list control group (n = 102). The GALM program consisted of fifteen 60 min sessions once a week emphasising moderate-intensity recreational sports activities.
Results: The intervention group showed significant increases in energy expenditure for recreational sports activities, other leisure-time physical activity, health indicators, and perceived and performance-based fitness. Contrary to our expectations, the same increases were found for the control group. Consequently, only significant between-group differences, favouring the intervention group, were obtained for sleep, diastolic blood pressure, perceived fitness score and grip strength.
Conclusion: The increases in energy expenditure for physical activity from the GALM program, especially for the more intensive recreational sports activities, look promising and are in line with the expected amounts necessary to improve health. Further research is needed to evaluate long-term effects of participation in the GALM program.
Practice Implications: These results underline that GALM can be considered successful in stimulating leisure-time physical activity and improving health and fitness in older adults.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2005.06.017 | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
January 2025
School of Exercise and Health, Shenyang Sport University, Shenyang, China.
Balance is crucial for various athletic tasks, and accurately assessing balance ability among elite athletes using simple and accessible measurement methods is a significant challenge in sports science. A common approach to balance assessment involves recording center of pressure (CoP) displacements using force platforms, with various indicators proposed to distinguish subtle balance differences. However, these indicators have not reached a consensus, and it remains unclear whether these analyses alone can fully explain the complex interactions of postural control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Unit of Physiotherapy, Division of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Community Medicine, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Background: Musculoskeletal pain (MSKP) disorders entail a significant burden for individuals and healthcare systems. The PainSMART-strategy has been developed aiming to reduce divergences between patients and healthcare practitioners in their understanding of MSKP by providing a shared basis for communication and to facilitate patients' self-management of MSKP. The objective of the PainSMART-project is to evaluate the effects of the PainSMART-strategy as an adjunct to usual physiotherapy management compared to usual physiotherapy management alone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Peking University Health Science Center, Macao Polytechnic University Nursing Academy, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, China.
Objective: The current investigation sought to elucidate the prevalence and contributing factors of sedentary behavior among pregnant women in Macao, a densely populated region characterized by a distinctive fusion of Eastern and Western cultures and a thriving global economy.
Methods: Through a cross-sectional study design, a total of 306 expectant mothers were recruited via various social media platforms and completed a sociodemographic questionnaire alongside the Chinese version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire.
Results: The findings revealed that sedentary activities accounted for a relatively small proportion (7.
PLoS One
January 2025
Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
Background: Although the benefits of engaging in cardiac rehabilitation are well established, patient perceptions of the changes in their health-related quality of life are poorly documented. This systematic review synthesized qualitative studies on patients' perspectives of change in their health-related quality of life after attending cardiac rehabilitation.
Objective: To identify and synthesize the best available evidence on the perspective of patients living with heart disease about the changes in their health-related quality of life after attending cardiac rehabilitation.
PLoS Pathog
January 2025
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America.
Virulent microbes produce proteins that interact with host cell targets to promote pathogenesis. For example, virulent bacterial pathogens have proteins called effectors that are typically enzymes and are secreted into host cells. To detect and respond to the activities of effectors, diverse phyla of host organisms evolved effector-triggered immunity (ETI).
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