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Aim: To develop and validate a physical exercise programme aimed at delaying the functional decline in frail older adults., Design: The revised guideline of Criteria for Reporting the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions in health care was followed., Methods: The physical exercise programme was designed and validated by exercise specialists to be implemented by healthcare professionals. The physical exercise programme underwent three stages of development, piloting and evaluation. It includes a portfolio of exercises in different support materials (posters, e-book and website). A testing intervention was delivered to the target population., Results: The Criteria for Reporting the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions in health care process has the potential to help practitioners in developing and planning complex interventions, such as an exercise programme. Its components can be adjusted to the context and to the characteristics of the target population. A study protocol and a pilot study will be developed to test the effectiveness of the physical exercise programme on delaying the functional decline of frail older adults., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors., (© 2019 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study compared the effects of a bout of maximal running exercise on arterial stiffness in children and adults. Right carotid blood pressure and artery stiffness indices measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), compliance and distensibility coefficients, stiffness index α and β (echo-tracking), contralateral carotid blood pressure, and upper and lower limb and central/aortic PWV (applanation tonometry) were taken at rest and 10 min after a bout of maximal treadmill running in 34 children (7.38 ± 0.38 years) and 45 young adults (25.22 ± 0.91 years) having similar aerobic potential. Two-by-two repeated measures analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were used to detect differences with exercise between groups. Carotid pulse pressure (PP; η(2) = 0.394) increased more in adults after exercise (p < 0.05). Compliance (η(2) = 0.385) decreased in particular in adults and in those with high changes in distending pressure, similarly to stiffness index α and β. Carotid PWV increased more in adults and was related to local changes in PP but not mean arterial pressure (MAP). Stiffness in the lower limbs decreased (η(2) = 0.115) but apparently only in those with small MAP changes (η(2) = 0.111). No significant exercise or group interaction effects were found when variables were adjusted to height. An acute bout of maximal exercise can alter arterial stiffness and hemodynamics in the carotid artery and within the active muscle beds. Arterial stiffness and hemodynamic response to metabolic demands during exercise in children simply reflect their smaller body size and may not indicate a particular physiological difference compared with adults.

Health and exercise technology may promote a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to understand and involve the perspective of pregnant women as users in the design of a framework for future e-health and exercise interventions during pregnancy. Pregnant women replied to a questionnaire aimed at understanding their physical activity patterns, needs, and preferences regarding the use of mobile applications (apps). The main results showed that one-third of the women did not practice any type of exercise during pregnancy. Women preferred to exercise in a gym, outdoors, or at home. The majority already had or were currently using a fitness app, but never used any pregnancy-specific app. Most women agreed that it was important to have a specific app for pregnancy to improve knowledge about recommendations on lifestyle, have direct contact with health and exercise professionals, have social interaction with other mothers, and have guidance on preparation for childbirth and postpartum recovery. Understanding and involving the perspective of pregnant women as users will allow researchers to improve the design of a pregnancy-specific app and future e-health and exercise interventions during pregnancy. These preliminary results will lead to the development of the "active pregnancy app" focused on the promotion of an active and healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and postpartum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Because the consequences of the lifestyle changes in older adults associated with the social isolation imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are not fully understood, here, we investigated the effects of one year of social isolation imposed by COVID-19 on the metabolic parameters and functional physical capacity of older women who regularly practiced physical exercises before the pandemic. Methods: Systemic lipid and protein profiles, estimated creatinine clearance (ECC), and functional physical capacity (FPC) were assessed before (January-February 2020) and 12 months after social isolation in 30 older women (mean age 73.77 ± 6.22) who were engaged in a combined-exercise training program for at least 3 years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: In this group, we observed increased plasma levels of triglycerides and creatinine, an increase in the time necessary to perform gait speed and time-up-and-go tests, and reduced muscle strength assessed by the handgrip test and ECC post-COVID-19 pandemic relative to values recorded pre-pandemic. In addition, we observed significant correlations (both negative and positive) between anthropometric, some metabolic parameters, and physical tests. Conclusion: One year of interruption of physical exercise practice imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered some systemic metabolic parameters and worsened ECC and FPC in older women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beneficial effects of short-term exercise programs (4-16 weeks) in the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) are well documented in the literature. Less consensus exists on the long-term effects. This study aims to evaluate the effects of a longterm exercise program on glycemic control and insulin resistance in patients with DM2. The sample consisted of a reference group (GR) (n=102) and an intervention group (IG) (n=23), all with DM2. The GR subjects did not participate in any program, having been assessed 1 time. Subjects of the GI participated on a long-term exercise program (32 months), with assessments every 4 months in a total of 9 assessments. Between each evaluation, there was a significant effect in reducing the mean values of fasting glucose [-0.119 mmol·L-1 (95% CI: - 0.193 - -0.046)], insulin resistance (HOMA IR) [-0.080 units (95% CI: -0.142 - -0.019)] and chronic levels of blood glucose (HbA1c) [-0.073% (95% CI: -0.130 - -0.016)]. The long-term exercise program consisted a safe and effective auxiliary treatment in improving glycemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the body fat (BF) content and distribution modifications in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients in response to a 1-year combined aerobic and resistance exercise training (CET) program. Design and Methods: We followed two groups of CAD male patients for 12 months. One group consisted of 17 subjects (57 ± 12 years) who engaged in a CET program (CET group) and the other was a age-matched control group of 10 subjects (58 ± 11 years). BF content and distribution were measured through dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at baseline and follow-up. Results: We found no differences on body mass and BMI between baseline and end of follow-up in both groups but, in CET group, we found significant reductions in all analyzed BF depots, including total BF (21.60 ± 6.00 vs. 20.32 ± 5.89 kg, P < 0.01), % total BF (27.8 ± 5.5 vs. 26.4 ± 5.4%, P < 0.05), trunk fat (12.54 ± 3.99 vs. 11.77 ± 4.01 kg, P < 0.05), % trunk fat (31.1 ± 6.9 and 29.2 ± 7.1%, P < 0.05), appendicular fat (8.22 ± 2.08 vs. 7.72 ± 2.037 kg, P < 0.01), % appendicular fat (25.7 ± 4.9 and 24.5 ± 4.9%, P < 0.05), and abdominal fat (2.95 ± 1.06 vs. 2.75 ± 1.10 kg, P < 0.05). Control group showed significant increase in appendicular fat (7.63 ± 1.92 vs. 8.10 ± 2.12 kg, P < 0.05). Conclusions: These results confirm the positive effect of CET on body composition of CAD patients, despite no changes in body mass or BMI. In this study, we observed no alterations on BF distribution meaning similar rate of fat loss in all analyzed BF depots. These results also alert for the limitations of BMI for tracking body composition changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide. The treatments may also cause neuromuscular and skeletal disorders; therefore, the aim of this study was to verify the existence of a relationship between heart rate variability and different functional fitness parameters in women survivors of breast cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 25 women survivors of breast cancer, with a mean ± SD age, height, and body mass of 50.8 ± 8.8 years, 1.6 ± 0.7 m, and 67.1 ± 12.3 kg, respectively. Patients underwent measurements of heart rate variability with time and frequency domain analyses, as well as a "30 s chair-stand test", "6 min walking test", "timed up and go test", and "ball throwing test". Results: A multiple linear regression analysis showed that from the heart rate variability frequency domain, high frequency explained 21% (R2 = 0.21) of the "30 s chair-stand test" performance. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight high frequency as a predictor of "30 s chair-stand test" performance, regardless of age and time after diagnosis, suggesting its usefulness as a clinical indicator of functionality in breast cancer survivors. This study presents a straightforward and non-invasive methodology predicting functional fitness in women breast cancer survivors potentially applicable to clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]