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Background: Regular physical activity is associated with a reduced stroke risk. However, this relationship might be attenuated in the presence of hypertension and antihypertensive medication use. We examined the dose-response relationship between physical activity and stroke in normotensive and hypertensive individuals., Methods: A Dutch population-based cohort including 139 930 individuals (41% men; mean age, 44±13) was performed (median follow-up, 6.75 years). Participants were stratified at baseline as hypertensive (44%) or normotensive (56%) and categorized into quartiles of the lowest (Q1) to the highest (Q4) moderate-to-vigorous, self-reported physical activity. The primary outcome was incident stroke (fatal and nonfatal). Cox regression estimated hazard ratios and 95% CIs. The main analyses were stratified on baseline blood pressure and adjusted for confounders. Hypertensives were stratified into medicated (21%) or non-medicated (79%)., Results: Compared with Q1, adjusted hazard ratios were 0.87 (0.69-1.10; P =0.23), 0.75 (0.59-0.95; P =0.02), and 0.94 (0.74-1.20; P =0.64) for Q2 to Q4, respectively in the total population. Hazard ratios for normotensives were 0.79 (0.50-1.25; P =0.32), 0.75 (0.48-1.18; P =0.22), 0.97 (0.62-1.51; P =0.90) for Q2 to Q4, respectively. In hypertensives, hazard ratios were 0.89 (0.68-1.17; P =0.41), 0.74 (0.56-0.98; P =0.03), 0.92 (0.69-1.23; P =0.56) for Q2 to Q4, respectively. There was no significant interaction between hypertension status for the relation between physical activity and stroke risk. The stratified analysis revealed a smaller benefit of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in medicated hypertensives compared with nonmedicated hypertensives, but no significant interaction effect was found., Conclusions: Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is beneficial for stroke risk reduction (Q3 compared with Q1), which is not affected by hypertension. Antihypertensive medication may be associated with a smaller benefit of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on the risk of stroke, but further research is warranted., Competing Interests: None.

Cardiac interoception, the ability to sense and process cardiac afferent signals, has been shown to improve after a single session of acute physical exercise. However, it remains unclear whether repetitive engagement in physical exercise over time leads to long-term changes in cardiac interoceptive accuracy. It is also unknown whether those changes affect the neural activity associated with the processing of afferent cardiac signals, assessed by the heart-evoked potential (HEP). In this study, we aimed to investigate this hypothesis through two cross-sectional studies, categorizing participants as active or inactive based on physical fitness (Study I; N = 45) or self-reported physical activity levels (Study II; N = 60). Interoception was assessed at rest using the HEP (Studies I and II), the Heartbeat Counting task (Study II), and the Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) (Study II). Study I showed strong evidence of better cardiovascular fitness in the active group than in the inactive group as well as robust between-group differences in electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings. Study 2 replicated the clear differences in ECG as a function of regular physical activity. Those results were expected due to clear differences in physical activity habits. In contrast, our analysis revealed no robust differences between groups across cardiac interoception tasks and the RHI, although the direct relevance of these measures to interoception remains under investigation. In sum, our results do not provide convincing evidence to support a strong version of the notion that regular physical exercise is associated with an enhanced in cardiac interoception., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Physical activity (PA) may prevent depressive symptoms, however, PA fluctuations may have different effects. Using three waves of nationally representative data, this study aimed to examine the effects of PA fluctuations on depressive symptoms., Methods: Participants comprised 7633 adults free of depressive symptoms at the first two waves (M age  = 45.26, 54.70 % males). They completed the China Family Panel Study in 2016 (T1), 2018 (T2), and 2020 (T3), respectively. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale using a cutoff of 16. Participants' PA levels were split into regular PA or infrequent PA groups. Changes in PA levels between T1 and T2 were classified into four groups: maintained infrequent PA, initiated regular PA, ceased regular PA, and persisted regular PA., Results: The incidence of depressive symptoms was 20.22 % (19.05 % possible and 1.17 % severe depression). After multivariate adjustment, Poisson regression showed that persistent regular PA had 17.8 % (95 % CI: 0.724, 0.934) lower risks of incident depressive symptoms compared to maintained infrequent PA. And adults who ceased regular PA were more likely to experience depressive symptoms than those who persisted in regular PA (RR = 1.188, 95 % CI: 1.010, 1.398)., Limitations: All items were self-reported. CES-D only examined self-diagnosed depressive symptoms, not medical diagnoses., Conclusion: Adults who persisted in regular PA may have a lower possibility of developing depressive symptoms. The finding might serve as an empirical reference to depression prevention., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have declared that they have no competing or potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Regular physical activity (PA) has been suggested as effective disease preventable strategies for Parkinson's disease (PD). Depression often precedes PD but whether PA also would reduce the risk of PD in patients with depression has not been known. The aim of study is to examine the association of regular PA with risk of PD among patients with depressive disorder. A total of 1,342,282 patients with depressive disorder were identified from a nationwide health screening cohort from 2010 to 2016. The exposure was changes in pattern of regular PA between pre-and post-diagnosis of depressive disorder, categorized as four groups; 1) no PA, 2) increased PA, 3) decreased PA, and 4) maintaining PA. The outcome was risk of incident PD, calculated using multivariate adjusted Cox proportional hazards regressions according to the PA categorization. Total of 8901 PD cases (0.66%) were developed during 5.3 years of follow-up period. Maintaining PA group was associated with the lowest risk of PD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.89, 95% CI 0.83-0.97) among all other PA groups with depressive disorder (with no PA group as reference). Otherwise, decreased PA group significantly increased the risk of PD (aHR 1.10, 95% CI 1.03-1.16). Those who maintained PA before and after diagnosis of depressive disorder were associated with lower risk of incident PD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Exercise intervention is the easiest and most effective way to promote human health. This study combined technology and exercise to improve the health behavior of the older adults through a physical activity intervention and to enhance a health-promoting lifestyle. Materials and methods: A quasi-experimental research method was used to openly recruit 120 healthy male and female older adults over 65 years old (average age of males: 71.6 ± 1.25 years; average age of females: 72.3 ± 1.28 years), all of whom wore smart bracelets. The participants were monitored by special personnel during the same period of walking every Monday to Friday. All participants recorded their daily steps, distance walked, and calorie consumption data for a period of 8 weeks. Results: After 8 weeks of walking, all participants showed a positive medium−high correlation of various factors between healthy behaviors and the health-promoting lifestyle scales. In the post-tests of each factor of two scales, males had the highest correlation between regular physical activity and physical activity, and females had the highest correlation between regular physical activity and social support. The variabilities in the explanatory power of the health behaviors of males and females on the health-promoting lifestyle were R2 = 70.9% (p < 0.01) and R2 = 74.1% (p < 0.01), indicating that the variables of healthy behaviors have a positive effect on health-promoting lifestyles in male and female older adults. Conclusions: Walking interventions positively affect the health behaviors of older adults and encourage health-promoting lifestyles. The value of this study is in its contribution to health promotion and public health recommendations for older adults.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether additional reminders could enhance adherence to a 12-week program consisting of regular physical activity., Methods: The study collective consisted of pensioners insured with the Austrian Insurance Fund for Civil or Public Servants. They were made aware of our program through the public service union. The subjects were randomized to an intervention group (group A) that received reminders and to a control group (group B) that did not receive such notifications. Adherence to physical activity was assessed by the use of diaries., Results: Group A performed 96 min more moderate intensity regular physical activity per week than group B (group A median 269 min, r = 0-1560 min; group B median 173 min, r = 0-2700 min). The Mann-Whitney U-test showed no significant differences (p = 0.080) between the study groups. There was no difference in muscle strengthening activity (group A: median: 2, r = 0-13 sessions; group B: median: 2, r = 0-20 sessions)., Conclusion: The major positive observation was that both the experimental and control group participants exceeded the recommended level of physical activity. Nevertheless, there were some differences concerning the minutes of physical activity performed in favor of the intervention group.

We compared the physical function performances of community-dwelling and day care center older adults with and without regular physical activity (PA). A total of 163 Taiwanese older adults living in rural communities participated. PA habits and physical functional performances were assessed. The participants were divided into community-dwelling (CD) and senior day care (DC) center groups that were further classified into regular physical activity (RPA) and non-physical activity (NPA) subgroups. Comparison took place between subgroups. In the CD group, only the grip strength, pinch strength, and box and blocks test scored significantly better for the participants with regular PA. Muscle strength, flexibility, and three items of functional ability of participants with regular PA were significantly better in the DC group. An active lifestyle contributes to a good old-age life. The effective amount of PA and the reduction of sedentary time should be advocated to prevent frailty and disability in older adults.

Acute intense exercise causes significant oxidative stress and consequently an increase in total antioxidant capacity; however, the mechanisms and combined effects of intense exercise and smoking on oxidative stress among active and non-active smokers are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of acute intense exercise on antioxidant enzyme activity responses in active and non-active individuals exposed to cigarette smoke. The study included 40 subjects who were equally classified as: smokers that did exercise (SE), smokers that did not do exercise (SnE), non-smokers that did exercise (NSE), and non-smokers that did not do exercise (NSnE). The adjusted Astrand test was used to exhaust the subjects. Salivary enzymes of peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured, by spectrophotometry methods, at 3 different time points: pre-test (TP1), post-test (TP2), and one hour after finishing the test (TP3). Significant ( p < 0.05) group x time interactions were found for the three enzymes. Salivary POX, CAT and SOD increased in all groups from TP1 to TP2 and decreased from TP2 to TP3. Only the NSE showed a significant difference between TP1 to TP3 in POX and SOD by +0.011 ± 0.007 and +0.075 ± 0.020 (U/mL), respectively. The NSE showed significantly higher activity of POX, CAT and SOD in TP2 compared to the other groups. Furthermore, NSE and NSnE had higher activity of POX, CAT and SOD in TP1 and TP3 ( p < 0.05) compared with SE and SnE. Only in the NSnE, were no differences observed in CAT compared with SE and SnE in TP3. These results showed that the antioxidant activity at rest and in the recovery time after the acute intense exercise was lower in SE and SnE compared with NSE and NSnE, suggesting that smoking habit may reduce the ameliorating effect of regular physical activity on acute exercise-induced oxidative stress.

Puehringer, Reinhard, Martin Berger, Michael Said, and Martin Burtscher. Age-dependent health status and cardiorespiratory fitness in Austrian military mountain guides. High Alt Med Biol . 21:346-351, 2020. Background: Mountaineering activities (at moderate and high altitudes) require a relatively high level of physical fitness, which may be closely associated with healthy aging. This cross-sectional study was aimed at evaluating the age-dependent health status and fitness level in Austrian military mountain guides. Methods: A total of 166 professional mountain guides were recruited for a comprehensive health check and exercise testing. Comparisons were made between 3 different age groups, that is, ≤40 years ( n  = 74), 41-50 years ( n  = 70), and >50 years ( n  = 22). Besides exercise capacity, anthropometric, biomedical, and cardiorespiratory parameters have been assessed. Results: None of the assessed parameters differed between age group 1 and 2. A slight increase was observed in the age group 3 concerning body weight, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and urea levels, and resting systemic blood pressure values. Peak aerobic capacity and maximal heart rates were slightly lower in this age group than the younger groups. When compared with the general population, mountain guides of similar age showed lower prevalence of being overweight, and suffering from systemic hypertension and diabetes. Conclusions: Our findings indicate favorable aging of mountain guides occupationally performing mountaineering activities (at moderate and high altitudes), characterized by maintaining a high fitness level and developing reduced cardiovascular risk factors until older than 50 years.

Background: The aim of this study was to present a practical concept focusing on typical aspects of regular physical activity, exercise and physical modalities for patients suffering from metastatic bone disease or multiple myeloma., Methods: A narrative review of the relevant scientific literature and presentation of clinical experiences., Results: In cancer patients with metastatic bone disease or multiple myeloma, pain is treated in an interdisciplinary and multimodal setting by using medication, radiotherapy and physical medical modalities (e.g. transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation); however, modalities increasing local blood flow, such as ultrasound therapy, thermotherapy, massage, various electrotherapy options, are not performed at the site of the tumor. For physical activity and exercise, a suitable indication of the static and dynamic capacity of the affected skeletal structures is essential. This process includes strategies to maintain and improve mobility and independence. Individually tailored and adapted physical activity and exercise concepts (programs) within a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary setting (tumor board) are used to manage the condition and bone load-bearing capacity of the patient. Typical clinical features and complications, such as pathological fractures in patients suffering from metastatic bone disease and additionally hypercalcemia, monoclonal gammopathy with bone marrow aplasia and risk of renal failure in patients with multiple myeloma have to be considered when planning supportive strategies and rehabilitation., Conclusion: In order to ensure the safety and effectiveness of regular physical activity, exercise, and physical modalities in patients with metastatic bone disease or multiple myeloma, typical contraindications and considerations should be noted.

Purpose: People with severe mental ill health (SMI) are less physically active and more sedentary than the general population. There is limited research investigating the correlates of physical activity (PA) in people with SMI impeding the development of successful interventions. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with regular participation of PA among a large sample of people with SMI., Methods: The data for this study were collected from the 'Closing the Gap: Lifestyle Health and Wellbeing' (HWB) cohort that collected data through self-administered questionnaire from participants with SMI. Self-reported participation in regular PA was the main outcome variable. Potential predictors of PA were grouped as demographic, biological, psychological and behavioural variables. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted considering PA participation as the dependent variable adjusted for possible correlated predictors., Results: In total, 3287 people with SMI [mean (SD) age 47.7 (14.58) years, 59% male] were included; 38% reported undertaking regular PA and 61% wanted to undertake more physical activity. Multivariable logistic regressions showed that the following factors were associated with undertaking more regular PA: being male, aged 18-65 years, having a body mass index between 18.5 and 30 kg/m 2 , having better self-perceived general health condition, not having a health problem that limits activity, giving higher importance to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and eating more fruit and vegetables., Conclusions: Having a better self-perceived general health and placing importance on maintaining a healthy lifestyle were important predictors of regular PA. Lifestyle interventions targeting increased PA among people with SMI should be shaped by their health perception and informed by their needs.

Knowing the therapeutic effects of regular physical exercise on kidney toxicity induced by a single dose of doxorubicin (DOX) in animal models, the aim of this study is to verify the effectiveness of regular voluntary running on kidney histology after a prolonged DOX administration, mimicking a chemotherapy protocol. Thirty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two clusters: DOX (n = 17) and SSS (sterile saline solution, n = 17), receiving a weekly intraperitoneal injection of DOX (2 mg/kg) or vehicle for 7 weeks, respectively. Two weeks after the last injection, five animals from each cluster (SSSG, n = 5; DOXG, n = 5) were euthanized, while the remaining ones were divided into sedentary (DOXsed, n = 6; SSSsed, n = 6) and active subgroups (DOXact, n = 6; SSSact, n = 6). Active animals were placed individually in cages with a running wheel for regular voluntary activity. After 2 months, the animals were euthanized and kidneys were histologically examined. Compared to SSSG, kidneys from DOXG revealed higher levels of damage, more collagen content and thickening of Bowman's capsule (p < .05). The levels of damage and thickness of Bowman's capsule increased in DOXsed as compared to DOXG (p < .05). Compared to DOXsed, the DOXact presented an overall improvement in kidney structure (p < .05), with a decrease in collagen content and of the thickness of Bowman's capsule. The results allow concluding that regular voluntary running attenuate the long-term harmful effects on kidney structure induced by a prolonged DOX treatment. These results, supporting the potential benefit of physical activity in patients under DOX treatment, need to be tested in humans.

The functional and bioenergetics impact of regular physical activity upon type-2 diabetic skeletal muscle independently of confounding factors of overweight remains undocumented. Here, gastrocnemius muscle energy fluxes, mitochondrial capacity and mechanical performance were assessed noninvasively and longitudinally in non-obese diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and dynamic 31-phosphorus MR spectroscopy ( 31 P-MRS) throughout a 6-min fatiguing bout of exercise performed before, in the middle (4-week) and at the end of an 8-week training protocol consisting in 60-min daily run on a treadmill. The training protocol reduced plasmatic insulin level (-61%) whereas blood glucose and non-esterified fatty acids levels remained unaffected, thereby indicating an improvement of insulin sensitivity. It also increased muscle mitochondrial citrate synthase activity (+45%) but this increase did not enhance oxidative ATP synthesis capacity in working muscle in vivo while glycolytic ATP production was increased (+33%). On the other hand, the training protocol impaired maximal force-generating capacity (-9%), total amount of force produced (-12%) and increased ATP cost of contraction (+32%) during the fatiguing exercise. Importantly, these deleterious effects were transiently worsened in the middle of the 8-week period, in association with reduced oxidative capacity and increased basal [P i ]/[PCr] ratio (an in vivo biomarker of muscle damage). These data demonstrate that the beneficial effect of regular training on insulin sensitivity in non-obese diabetic rat occurs separately from any improvement in muscle mitochondrial function and might be linked to an increased capacity for metabolizing glucose through anaerobic process in exercising muscle., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

This article presents the results of the identification of the main causes of physical inactivity among the elderly and the assessment of the effectiveness of the inclusion of regular Nordic walking into the preventive system for the elderly in order to improve the quality of life. A comparative analysis of the quality of life was used among elderly and old people, regularly engaged in Nordic walking (intervention group) and leading a physically passive lifestyle (control group). It was established that regular physical activity allows the improvement of the quality of life and positively affects health in groups under study, but it is the elderly people who represent the most physically inactive part of the population. The main reasons for the physical inactivity among older people are the presence of diseases, fear of injury and falls, lack of energy and weakness, low level of motivation, lack of partners or friends for joint activities, etc. The above studies have shown that regular practice of Nordic walking improves the quality of life for both elderly and old people. It was evidenced by the results of the SF 36 questionnaire analysis when we compared not only intervention and control groups but the age differences in the quality of life in all groups under study. After 12 months of regular Nordic walking it was registered an increase of the quality of life estimated on the scales of role-playing physical functioning, overall health, role emotional functioning, vitality, psychological health, social functioning, which correlated both with the physical and psychological components of health. The results thus obtained make it possible to recommend Nordic walking as the most simple, accessible and at the same time effective type of physical activity for the elderly population, that helps to overcome the main causes of physical inactivity, restore the functional capabilities of the aging organism. Gerontotechnologies based on the regular activities of Nordic walking are one of the most effective ways to improve and maintain the quality of life and, as a result, the activity, mobility, self-care ability among elderly and old people.

Objective: To explore the relationship between sports law project selection and physical health, cardiovascular function of the city elderly., Design and Setting: To investigate the state of regular physical activity, physical health, and cardiovascular function., Participants: 1,555 city elderly people aged 60-69 years in 10 cities of Shaanxi Province., Measurements: Clinical and anthropometrics measurements included height, weight, waistline, blood pressure, heart rate, strength, balance, flexibility., Results: The sports participation rate for the samples was 51.38%, which was with fitness walking (61.08%), Tai Chi (12.52%), fitness run (11.51%), dance(8.89%)as the main items; There were statistically significant difference in WHtR (F = 2.63), heart rate (F = 3.43), balance (F = 4.51), flexibility (F = 3.57), strength (F = 24.69) (all P < 0.05) for the two groups of elderly; Compared with the non-regular physical activity groups, these groups of fitness walking, Tai Chi and fitness running were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The systolic blood pressure (t = 4.18), diastolic blood pressure (t = 2.02), heart rate (t= -2.13), balance (t= 2.88) of fitness walking group were improved markedly. The balance (t = 4.42, P = .000) of Tai Chi group was significant. The strength (t = 2.48, P = .013) of fitness running group was significant., Conclusion: The project of regular physical activity can effectively improve the physical health level and heart vascular function of the elderly people. WHtR was suitable for evaluating physical fitness of elderly people in regular sports. Fitness walking, Tai Chi, fitness running can effectively improve the obese elderly obesity levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Fitness walking program can improve heart rate and blood pressure levels, and it also can be recommended as an exercise for improving the level of cardiovascular function, with the flexibility exercise being added. Tai Chi helped the elderly to improve their balance level and prevent falls. Fitness running helped to improve the elderly power and slow down the process of muscle degradation. The choice of Regular sports activities for the elderly was single, not according to their own physical or chronic disease of the targeted exercise., Competing Interests: L. CHEN, S. WANG and J.C. XU, have no conflict of interest to declare.

Objective: Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obesity are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and according to current estimates, the global burden of these conditions will be even greater. The basis for COPD treatment is bronchodilator therapy and non-pharmacotherapy approaches, such as respiratory rehabilitation and dietary counseling. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of lifestyle modification on anthropometric indices, markers of systemic inflammation, quality of life in patients with COPD and obesity., Patients and Methods: Materials and methods: 53 patients with COPD in stable condition with BMI - 30.0-39.9 kg/m2 were included in the study. The patients were divided into 2 groups: the first group - obese COPD patients with lifestyle modification (n=26) and the second group (n=27) -without lifestyle modification. Lifestyle modification involved: nutritional correction and regular physical exercise. The duration of the study was 9 months. We evaluated body mass indices (BMI), waist circumference (WC), actual nutrition, dyspnea by the mMRC scale, quality of life (QL), 6-minute walking distance test (6MWD), spirometry, serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and sputum level of interleukin-26 (IL-26)., Results: Results: After 9 months in obese COPD patients with lifestyle modification we found a decrease in body weight and BMI by 1.16 times (p <0.0001), WC by 1.07 times (p<0.0001), the basal metabolic rate by 1.07 times (p=0.02), the actual energy value of consumed food per work day and weekend by 1.19 times and 1.23 times, respectively (p<0.0001), the level of dyspnea by 1.42 times (p <0.0001), systemic inflammation markers decreased - serum CRP by 2.06 times (p < 0.0001), IL-26 level in the induced sputum by 1.65 times (p <0.0001); increased the walked distance by 9.38% (p = 0.0004) and QL (p <0.0001)., Conclusion: Conclusions: Application of individually developed therapeutic measures incorporating the nutrition correction, taking into account the indicators of the basic metabolism in patients and regular physical activity against the background of inhaled basic therapy, allows us to the reduction of WC, BMI, activity of the inflammatory process, increase tolerance to physical activity and improvement of life quality.

Purpose: Aim of this pilot study was to describe feasibility and acceptance of an exercise intervention by using an unique swinging-ring system with the goal to promote long-term exercise behaviour in cancer patients., Methods: The included cancer patients (n = 13, male:f emale (m:f) = 7:6, age = 56 ± 11, range 38-74a) were invited to perform a home-based exercise intervention. All participants of this pilot study were instructed how to use the smovey® Vibroswing. They could choose how to use the swinging-ring system, for example only indoor or only outdoor (single or in a group) or both. Feasibility and acceptance were assessed after 12 months (T2). Handgrip strength (Jamar hand dynamometer) and health-related quality of life (QOL, SF-36 Health survey) were assessed at baseline (T1) and after 12 months (T2)., Results: A total of 10 (77%) patients (m:f = 5:5, 59 ± 9 years, range = 46-74) could be assessed at baseline and after 12 months. The exercise intervention showed no adverse events and was well accepted. Approximately 77% of patients of the study population have been exercising for more than 12 months. Furthermore, this intervention was able to increase handgrip strength in the participants. QOL improved as well in all domains., Conclusions: The results of this small pilot study indicate that regular physical exercise with this swinging-ring system seems to be safe, and to promote long-term exercise behaviour of the included patients. Furthermore, this study population showed benefits in terms of increased handgrip strength and of improved QOL.

Background: Regular physical activity is important for midlife women. Models and theories help better understanding this behavior among middle-aged women and better planning for change behavior in target group. This study aimed to investigate predictive factors of regular physical activity among middle-aged women based on PRECEDE model as a theoretical framework., Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 866 middle-aged women of Hamadan City western Iran, recruited with a proportional stratified sampling method in 2015. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire including questions on demographic characteristics and PRECEDE model constructs and IPAQ questionnaire. Data were then analyzed by SPSS-16 and AMOS-16 using the Pearson correlation test and the pathway analysis method., Results: Overall, 57% of middle-aged women were inactive (light level) or not sufficiently active. With SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) analysis, knowledge b=0.84, P<0.001, attitude b=0.799, P<0.001, self-efficacy b=0.633, P<0.001 as predisposing factor and social support as reinforcing factor b=0.2, P<0.001 were the most important predictors for physical activity among middle-aged women in Hamadan., Conclusions: The framework of the PRECEDE model is useful in understanding regular physical activity among middle-aged women. Furthermore, results showed the importance of predisposing and reinforcing factors when planning educational interventions.

We examined the association between the allocation of time to regular physical activity (PA) and achievement in mathematics and language in Chilean adolescents after controlling for confounders. In a random sample of 620 ninth graders (15.6 ± 0.7 years old), we measured regular PA, including physical education and sports extracurricular activities, and academic performance, using national standardised tests. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses modelled the relation between academic and health-related behaviours. Sufficiency and proficiency in mathematics and language were used as outcome variables. Only 18% of adolescents had >4 h·week(-1) of regular PA. Devoting >4 h · week(-1) to regular PA significantly increased the odds of sufficiency and proficiency in both domains. After full adjustment, the odds of sufficiency and proficiency in mathematics increased by 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1-3.5) and 2.7 (95% CI: 1.7-4.3), respectively. Similarly, the odds of sufficiency and proficiency in language increased by 3.3 (95% CI: 1.7-9.7) and 2.6 (95% CI: 1.6-4.1), respectively. Adolescents with the highest allocation of time to regular PA performed much better in mathematics and language than inactive students. The academic benefits associated with PA can help to promote sustained behaviour changes regarding lifestyles. They can be more easily perceived as gains than health benefits alone.