A Qualitative Investigation Into The Influence Of A Mental Health Physical Activity Intervention On University Students, Heather M. Tunks

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Objective

Among the university student population, mental illnesses are highly prevalent. Adults aged 20-30 years have the highest rates of mood and anxiety disorders than any other age group, with approximately 12.0% diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and 7.0 to 9.0% experiencing clinical depression (Nunes et al., 2014; Pedrelli, Nyer, Yeung, Zulauf, & Wilens, 2015). Reducing or preventing the effects of mental illness among this population may have lifelong implications including improvements in coping and management of mental illness throughout the lifespan(Jaworska, DeSomma, Fonseka, Heck, & MacQueen, 2016). This research examines the lived experiences of volunteers and participants in a …

Examining The Effect Of Exercise Intensity On Post-Exercise Hypotension In Middle-Aged Adults, Seth F. Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Acute bouts of exercise have a transient lowering effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the hours after termed post-exercise hypotension (PEH). While moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) is effective in reducing BP acutely, little is known regarding the effects of higher intensity exercise. This study examined the effects of different exercise intensities on PEH. Six participants (females: 4; age: 48±9 y, Mean arterial pressure: 84±8 mmHg) had their BP measured before and both immediately post- (<2 h) and for 24 h following 4 experimental sessions: 1) 30 min MICT (65% V̇O_2max); 2) 20 min high-intensity interval training (HIIT; 10 x 1 min @ 90% HR_max with 1 …

Sprint Interval Training: Assessing Effectiveness And Adherence In A Real-World Setting, Gregory Howe

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Introduction: Perceived lack of time is an oft-cited reason for not engaging in physical activity. One proposed solution is high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or a more intense version known as sprint interval training (SIT), which involves repeated “all-out” efforts interspersed with short recovery periods. Although convincing evidence demonstrates the efficacy of SIT on cardiorespiratory fitness and other health factors, whether individuals will independently perform and benefit from this type of exercise outside the supervised lab setting is unknown. Purpose: To compare the effectiveness and adherence of performing running SIT and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) protocols in a real-world setting. Methods: …

The Effects Of External Focus Of Attention Exercise Rehabilitation On Dual Task Walking In Parkinson's Disease, Eric N. Beck

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parkinson’s disease impairs control of well-learned movements, and therefore, individuals with Parkinson’s disease are forced to walk with greater conscious control. This causes difficulties while walking and completing a secondary task simultaneously (dual tasking), in that distractions from conscious control of walking increase the risk of falls and injury. Although, attention-based exercise may be a potential avenue to decrease the demands associated with walking in Parkinson’s disease. For example, an external focus of attention (on manipulated objects) has been found to recruit the networks that are important for walking with little conscious control (automatic control networks). In contrast, an internal …

The Effect Of Training Older Adults In Tai Chi And Compensatory Stepping On Balance Control, Hannah L. Moore Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Introduction: In Canadian society, there is a growing prevalence of older adults and one of the main problems facing this generation today is the risk of falling. Tai Chi (TC) is a martial art that has demonstrated improvements in balance control. It uses a series of fluid movements that engage head, neck and trunk rotation while simultaneously reducing base of support. In addition, it has been demonstrated that training older adults by administering unpredictable perturbations to challenge balance better equips them to react successfully in response to balance perturbations. This study aims to determine the potential balance specific benefits …