In this 12-month trial standard exercise training was compared with a group-mediated cognitive-behavioral (GMCB) intervention with respect to effects on long-term adherence and change in physical function of older adults who were either at risk for or had cardiovascular disease. Participants (147 older men and women) were randomized to the 2 treatments. Outcomes included self-reportedphysical activity, fitness, and self-efficacy. The GMCB treatment produced greater improvements on all outcomes than did standard exercise therapy. Regardless of treatment assignment, men had more favorable change on the study outcomes than did women. Analysis of a self-regulatory process measure in the GMCB group revealed that change in barriers efficacy was related to change in physical activity and fitness. Results suggest that teaching older adults to integrate physical activity into their lives via GMCB leads to better long-term outcomes than standardized exercise therapy.
Enjoyment during physical activity is optimized when a positive and supportive leadership style is coupled with an enriched and supportive group environment. Future research is required to extend these findings to other activities and populations.
This study examined the effects of the group environment and group leadership style on social anxiety experienced by participants (N= 90) in a 40‐min step aerobics class. In a 2±2 factorial design, group environment (enriched/bland) was manipulated, along with the fitness instructor's leadership style (enriched/bland). Participants in the enriched group condition had significantly higher social anxiety (M= 15.1) than did those in the bland group condition (M= 12.0, p < 0.05). Also, participants tended to have less social anxiety when the instructor used an enriched leadership style (M= 12.4) than when she used a bland leadership style (M= 14.8, p= 0. 08). Discussion focuses on aspects of the social environment that can affect social anxiety during group exercise classes.
A threshold model postulates that prescriptively applying the appropriate cardiorespiratory and strength stimulus at a designated threshold of intensity for a brief time results in the targeted adaptations. A randomized control group design was used with 17 unfit males and females (mean age = 37.1 +/- 6.5 year) assigned to an exercise group (n = 9) who performed a progressive cardiovascular graded exercise protocol and resistance training twice a week for 12 weeks or a nonexercising control group (n = 8). The intervention included a graded exercise protocol involving a 3-min warm-up, exercising 3-4 min at 70-80% of maximum heart rate, and a 3-min cooldown. Progressive resistance exercise consisted of one set of six repetitions on each of six resistance machines. Results showed that the exercise group increased predicted aerobic capacity by 13.4% (p < 0.05), decreased submaximal rate pressure product by 17.2% (p < 0.05), and increased strength by 34% (p < 0.01). The results support a threshold model and show that time for effective exercise can be substantially reduced.
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