Quality of Movement Is Associated With Cognitive Function in Physically Inactive Older Women

Connecting With Older Adults in a Gym Environment: Perspectives of Fitness Professionals

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

As the world's aging population increases, the importance of prophylactic measures to combat disease becomes essential. Physical activity is a protective factor against noncommunicable disease, and exercise within gym facilities is a common way for older adults to engage in it. Older exercisers consider the quality of fitness professionals (FPs) an essential factor in their motivation to participate in physical activity. This study aims to investigate the FPs' expectations, learning, insights, and recommendations from their experiences of working with older adults in a gym environment.

METHODS

Participants were six gym instructors working at a facility in Auckland, New Zealand who supervise older adults in exercise classes and instruct on the use of gym equipment. They participated in semistructured interviews with a qualified research assistant. The authors utilized a pragmatic qualitative descriptive approach to the research and examined the data using inductive thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

Several broad themes were identified from the FPs' thoughts about instructing older adults. These included social interactions and developing relationships, openness, or resistance of older people to learning; FPs' expectations of older adults; a continuum of feelings; and professional learning and self-evaluation.

CONCLUSION

The perceptions of FPs connecting with older adults provide insights for improving the implementation of exercise programs to increase positive outcomes from exercise among older adults. Crucial to these outcomes are relationship building and understanding the needs of older adults in a gym environment. Significance/Implications: From this study, we suggest there are opportunities for developing training courses as part of ongoing FPs' professional development to actively encourage older adult participation in physical activity for health and well-being.

Dance-like state detection, curiosity, and decentering: A pilot study on artful movement and mindfulness

BackgroundCuriosity and decentering are two constructs that represent momentary mindfulness. Dance is an art and complex physical activity mode, which may serve as a behavioral correlate of mindfulness.ObjectiveTo characterize momentary mindfulness in relation to a novel, accelerometer-derived measure for characterizing human movement quality (i.e. "dance-like state" DLS scores).MethodsAdults (N = 41), ages 18-83 years old, engaged in the following conditions in a lab and completed questionnaires on mindfulness after each: (1) clipping their fingernails; (2) sitting, standing, and walking on a treadmill; and (3) dancing at self-determined reference intensities with and without music. Conditions 2-3 were monitored with accelerometers. DLS score summary statistics (i.e. median and median amplitude deviation [MAD]) were used in linear mixed effects models.ResultsOn average, curiosity [13.7(1.02)] was significantly associated with median DLS scores (β = 1.79, p = 0.007) over time; adults with a lower median DLS score reported higher levels of curiosity [16.2; 95%C.I. 13.3-19.0], on average, when compared [12.6; 95%C.I., 10.3-14.9] to adults with a higher median DLS score. On average, decentering [14.9(1.01)] was significantly associated with the DLS score MAD (β = 1.28, p = 0.035) over time; adults who had less variability in DLS scores across conditions reported greater experiences of decentering [15.9; 95%C.I. 13.7-18.1], on average, when compared [13.3; 95%C.I. 10.7-15.9] to adults with more variability in DLS scores across conditions.ConclusionsAmong ostensibly healthy adults, movement quality was correlated with momentary mindfulness. Additional research is needed to understand if DLS scores are differentially associated with momentary mindfulness among adults with Alzheimer's disease.

Kinesiophobia in People with Multiple Sclerosis and Its Relationship with Physical Activity, Pain and Acceptance of Disease

Background and Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic demyelinating disease. Factors that reduce the occurrence of symptoms include physical activity (PA). However, the data indicate that PA levels among people with MS are lower than those of healthy peers. The cause may be kinesiophobia. The aim of the study was to determine the level of kinesiophobia among people with MS and its relationship with age, disease duration, functional status, PA, and degree of acceptance of the disease. Materials and Methods: Eighty people aged 35−69 were examined: 60 women (75%) and 20 men (25%). The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was used to determine the level of disability (median: 3.50; min−max: 1−6). The research questionnaire consisted of a metric section, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), and Modified Baecke Questionnaire for Older Adults for physical activity. Results: Of the respondents, 52.50% were characterized by a high level of kinesiophobia (>37 points). Correlation analysis: TSK and PA showed the following: r = −0.363 (p = 0.001). Regression explains kinesiophobia in 44% (R2 = 0.4364; p < 0.0000). The predictors of TSK were as follows: disability level: p < 0.01, ß = 0.33; disease acceptance: p < 0.01, ß = −0.34; PA: p < 0.05, ß < −0.05. Conclusions: The problem of kinesiophobia is significant in MS patients, and its predictors are the functional status of the patients, low degree of acceptance of the disease, and low level of physical activity. The age and duration of the disease do not determine the problem of fear of movement.