Physical Education and Physical Fitness Across Development: A Neurodevelopmental Perspective on Childhood and Adolescence |Chapter 2 | An Overview of Disease and Health Research Vol. 10

 

Physical education is a fundamental component of childhood and adolescent development, contributing not only to physical fitness but also to cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial maturation. Contemporary evidence from developmental neuroscience highlights adolescence as a sensitive period of heightened neuroplasticity, during which physical activity exerts profound effects on brain structure and function. School-based physical education provides a unique environment that combines movement, novelty, skill acquisition, and peer interaction; key drivers of neural adaptation during this developmental “grey zone.” This chapter examines physical education as a neurodevelopmentally active process, synthesising evidence on its role in enhancing physical fitness alongside executive function, emotional regulation, motivation, and mental well-being. By integrating perspectives from exercise science and adolescent neuroscience, the chapter emphasises the need to design physical education programs that align with brain maturation processes to optimise both physical and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Akanksha Nagar

BFUHS, India and Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health and Allied Sciences, Guru Kashi University, Bathinda, Punjab, 151302, India.

 

Himanshu Kaushal
Department of Neurology, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College & Hospital, Faridkot, Punjab, 151203, India.

 

Jaspreet Vij
Institute of Physiotherapy, University Regional Centre, Sri Goindwal Sahib, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Punjab, 151203, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/aodhr/v10/7018

Development of the Motives of Long-Term Customers of Health-Oriented Fitness Companies During Membership | Chapter 2 | New Horizons of Science, Technology and Culture Vol. 5

 

Background: Sustainable product and service improvements are necessary for fitness studios to develop a long-term market and remain competitive. This is extremely important since meeting client expectations can lead to customer happiness, which in turn improves customer loyalty and financial success.

 

Aim: This study aims to understand the development of motivational factors among long-term members of health-oriented fitness clubs and to understand the relationship between different motives and membership longevity.

 

Methods: A survey of the members of a big metropolitan fitness club was conducted. The fifteen items on the survey were broken down into seven motivation-related categories. The sample included 278 respondents, all of whom had only participated in equipment-based training. The analysis focused on the mean values (MV) and standard deviations (SD) of membership duration based on whether particular motives were mentioned. Statistical significance was assessed using t-tests.

 

Findings: The average age of the respondents was 56.6 years, and the average membership duration among those with over one year of participation was 11.6 years. Several significant differences were identified based on motivational factors: a) People who have the motive ‘general improvement in physical fitness’ are members for longer than those who do not have it (means 11.9 years to 7.9 years); b) People who have the motive ‘positive influence on physical complaints’ and use the term ‘cardiovascular complaints’ as a synonym for their physical complaints are members for a shorter period than those who do not have it (means 8.7 years to 12.4 years); c) people who name the motive ‘independent training planning and control’ stay longer than people who do not name it (means 12.8 years to 10.5 years) and d) people who name the motive ‘preparation for their own sport’ (means 15.2 years to 11.3 years).

 

Conclusion: To create lasting customer loyalty, it is therefore important to thoroughly examine the motives of the customers, to know and evaluate them and to give appropriate personal action and fitness recommendations. The insights from this study not only contribute to the long-term success of fitness clubs but also contribute to improving the image of fitness sports in general.

 

 

Author(s) Details

George F. Zarotis
Faculty of Human Sciences, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece.

 

Walter Tokarski
German Sport University, Cologne, Germany.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nhstc/v5/6124

Optimising Public Health and Athletic Performance through Heart Rate Recovery Dynamics | Chapter 10 | An Overview of Disease and Health Research Vol. 1

Background: Heart rate activity, specifically heart rate recovery and heart rate deceleration (HRD), is at the forefront of much public health. It is hypothesised that HRD post-exercise is linked to mortality and that a compromised HRD may be a powerful predictor of all-cause mortality.

 

Aims: This chapter examines the literature on Heart Rate Deceleration (HRD) and its applications across both public health and sports performance domains.

 

Methodology: This chapter includes a comprehensive analysis of the limited research exploring HRD within public health and athletic performance contexts. Selected literature included controlled comparative trials across various exercise settings.

 

Results: While contemporary health and therapeutic approaches often emphasise resting heart rate metrics and interventions, post-exercise cardiac response may provide more valuable insights for health practitioners and performance specialists. Heart rate recovery, or deceleration, demonstrates significant associations with mortality risk and athletic performance outcomes. Recent investigations have highlighted the role of vagal activity in heart rate deceleration, establishing its value as both a mortality risk predictor and an effective psychophysiological assessment tool in competitive sports environments.

 

Conclusion: In conclusion, heart rate recovery dynamics represents a promising field with significant implications for both public health and athletic performance. The growing body of evidence linking HRD to mortality risk and performance outcomes suggests that greater attention to this aspect of cardiovascular function is warranted across clinical, fitness, and sports performance settings. Future research should continue to explore the mechanistic relationships between aerobic capacity, vagal tone, HRD, and both health and performance outcomes.

 

Author (s) Details

Christopher K. Carroll
Department of Human Kinetics and Applied Health Science, Bethel University, USA.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/aodhr/v1/5438

A Survey on Investigating Machine Learning Approaches for Real-time Yoga Pose Rectification | Chapter 24 | Leading the Charge: A Guide to Management, Entrepreneurship and Technology in the Dynamic Business Landscape Edition 1

Yoga is an ancient technique, which is based on a science, which focuses on the harmony between mind and body. This practice is highly recommended by doctors for curing different health ailments, yet many struggle with proper execution of asana which may put the user at risk of injury. Hence, it brings the need to perform the asanas accurately. This paper delves into the various methods used to solve the difficulty of grasping yoga poses by precisely identifying and guiding practitioners in real-time and addresses these challenges by leveraging computer vision and machine learning (ML). The methodologies explored also include deep learning (DL), and hybrid models. Specifically, neural networks like CNNs and key point detection techniques, such as those implemented with OpenCV, OpenPose, and Mediapipe, significantly improve the accuracy of pose estimation. The integration of these technologies allows for real-time feedback, aiding practitioners in maintaining correct poses and reducing injury risks. Moreover, with a virtual yoga guide, users can practice yoga anytime also eliminating the hassle and expense of commuting to yoga centers and gyms. It helps the user maintain accurate yoga poses and avoid injuries which can hamper the body in the long term, making it easier to practice yoga at home. This makes wellness practices like yoga accessible and vision to have a huge contribution to a healthier society.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Mary M Dsouza
Department of ISE, Acharya Institute of Technology, Bangalore,560107, India.

 

Nidhi Charate
Department of ISE, Acharya Institute of Technology, Bangalore,560107, India.

 

Gauthami Shirodkar
Department of ISE, Acharya Institute of Technology, Bangalore,560107, India.

 

Adarsh Chetri
Department of ISE, Acharya Institute of Technology, Bangalore,560107, India.

 

Apoorva S
Department of ISE, Acharya Institute of Technology, Bangalore,560107, India.

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-48859-98-3/CH24

Reliability of the Fitness Gram test in Assessing Physical Fitness among School Children in Guwahati, North-east India | Chapter 3 | Disease and Health Research - New Insights Vol. 1

 

Background: The physical fitness is an integrated measure of the body functions involved in the performance of daily physical activity and physical exercise. Childhood and adolescence are crucial periods of life, where physiological and psychological changes take place at these age. Both cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness in children are important for positive health behaviour.

The assessment of physical fitness using a specific tool has become an important part to find out the fitness level of children and adolescence. Fitness gram is a health-related fitness test that utilizes criterion-referenced standards on health-related components. Through the years research has shown that Fitness gram has become one of the most widely used programs in the United States, though its use in India is not popular.This study aims to evaluate the interrater reliability of the Fitness Gram test, a widely used tool for physical fitness assessment, among school children in the urban society of Guwahati, North-East India.

Methods: A sample of 70 school children aged 5-14 years was assessed using the Fitness gram test battery. Students were randomly allocated for physical fitness test where 62 students have completed the test.Two trained raters independently scored the tests. Statistical analysis was done by Cronbach’s Alpha value has been computed for the Interrater reliability.

Results: Sixty-two students with both gender (male 56.3% and female 43.7%, age -10.12±2.72) were assessed for physical fitness using Fitness gram test battery. All the test variables showed an excellent reliability (Cronbach’s alpha =0.91-0.95).

Conclusions: Fitness Gram test demonstrates high interrater reliability for assessing physical fitness in school children in Guwahati. These findings support its use as a reliable tool in school-based fitness assessments, potentially aiding in the development of targeted fitness programs.

 

Author(s) Details

Dr. Pranjal Gogoi
Department of Physiotherapy, Downtown Hospital ltd, Guwahati, Assam, India.

 

Nirmal C. Bhattacharyya
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Assam, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/dhrni/v1/953