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Background -- The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of high-intensity interval training on healthfitness, health related quality of life, and psychological measures in college-aged smokers. Methods -- 40 college-aged male smokers were randomly assigned to 2 groups: a) HIIT group included high-intensity interval cycling training; b) Control group (CON) included participants without formal physical exercise. Intervention lasted for 8 weeks (3 sessions/week, and 33 minutes/session). HIIT group used 65-75% of maximal heart rate (HRmax) with a 20-min maximal work-out at 85%. The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was assessed using the questionnaire WHOQOL-BREF and assessment of physical health parameters included hemodynamic, anthropometric, lung function and cardiorespiratory assessments. Results -- Significant improvements in HIIT were seen in physical health (P=0.000), psychological state (P=0.001), social relationship (P=0.004), environment (P=0.000), resting heart rate (RHR) (P=0.000), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P=0.007), rate pressure product (RPP) (P=0.000), mean arterial pressure (MAP) (P=0.000), waist (P=0.003), forced vital capacity (FVC) (P=0.001), forced expiratory volume (FEV) (P=0.027), peak expiratory flow (PEF) (P=0.000), (forced expiratory flow) FEF_25 (P=0.023), FEF_50 (P=0.007), FEF_75 (P=0.009), steps/min (P=0.000), VO2max (P=0.000) and heart rate recovery (HRrec) (P=0.000). Interestingly, significant reductions were seen in the CON group in environmental point (P=0.002), Weight (P=0.002), BMI (P=0.001), lean mass (P=0.024), FEV/FCV (P=0.014), PEF_50 (P=0.007) and FEF_75 (P=0.009). Conclusion -- The high intensity interval training was effective to improve all dimensions of HRQOL, hemodynamic variables, lung function, and cardiorespiratory endurance indicators in college-aged smokers. Contrarily, this study further supports it is evident that smoking gradually results in unhealthy environmental habits, decreased body weight, BMI, and lean mass as well as significant reductions in lung function as observed in our study. This suggests that HIIT can be a preferred form of training for smokers willing to improve or restore their diminishing health components due to smoking. Additionally, this can be applied in clinical conditions to provide HIIT exercise intervention to smokers to yield healthier benefits over a short period of time during smoking cessation programs and/or rehabilitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood overweightness/obesity is likely to further challenge worldwide public health if effective preventative measures, such as physical activity interventions, are not put in place as prescribed by public health organizations, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO). Objectives: This study attempted to determine and compare the efficacy of home-based callisthenic resistance training on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in overweight children compared to normal-weight children. Methods: A quantitative study was undertaken, and 15 previously sedentary overweight/obese children (OOC) and 15 previously sedentary normal-weight children (NWC), aged 9 - 11 years, were assigned to a six-week, 45-minute, non-consecutive callisthenic resistance trainingprogramconsisting of six exercises. Anadditional 15 previously sedentary normal-weight children were assigned to a non-exercising control group (NON). Results: In the OOC, the six-week callisthenic resistance training program significantly (P-0.05) decreased body mass (from 44.54 -10.53 to 43.77-10.38 kg, P = 0.002), BMI (23.27-5.05 to 22.85-5.00 kg.m-2, P = 0.002), percentage body fat (from 33.01-5.15 to 31.94-5.55%, P = 0.042), fat mass (from 15.01-5.45 to 14.30-5.33 kg, P = 0.001), sum of skinfolds (from 46.46-11.65 to 44.38-11.61 mm, P = 0.032), and run/walk time (from 21.70-5.06 to 20.71-4.96 min; P = 0.003). In the NWC, hip circumference was found to be decreased (from 73.26-5.84 to 72.76-5.88 cm, P = 0.031), as was the sum of skinfolds (from 29.38-10.18 to 25.84-8.11mm, P = 0.035). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that home-based callisthenic resistance training can have positive impacts on overall body composition and may prove to be a cost-effective and essential tool in the fight against childhood overweight/obesity whether in normal weight or even overweight/obese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for 60% of global deaths. Of these NCD-attributable deaths, about 80% are in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). The role of exercise in major NCDs is evident; however, popular and cost-effective aerobic modes of exercise, such as walking, consistently do not meet minimum intensity guidelines for health improvement. Interestingly, low-cost resistance training (using callisthenics, Pilates, elastic tubing, etc.) has proven equally effective to conventional resistance training using weight machines in improving several health parameters related to NCDs, although their effectiveness in LMICs is not as well documented as in high-income countries (HICs). Objectives: This review aimed to examine low-cost approaches of resistance training to health promotion, NCD risk reduction, and NCD rehabilitation/management to mitigate the epidemic of NCDs in lower-resource settings. Methods: An electronic search was performed on the following databases from inception until December 2019: PubMed/Medline, Sport Discuss, Embase, Science Direct, Current Contents, CISTI Source, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL EBM Reviews, and international e-catalogues. Results: Data on resistance training provision cost in low-resource settings indicates that it is not reasonable to use this mode of training in low-resource settings in the same way as it is used in high-resource ones. This review summarized some strategies which can be employed to ensure the delivery of all core resistance training components in low-resource settings. The data suggests that resistance training be adapted for delivery in non-clinical settings in LMICs. Conclusions: Program design variables of resistance training are similar in low- and well-resourced settings. However, only individuals with low-risk will be able to perform exercise without adverse consequences in home-based settings. Health care practitioners in LMICs should take an active role in promoting resistance training when promoting health, reducing NCD risk, and NCD rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have demonstrated that young adults, especially in low- to middle-income countries, are increasingly susceptible to unfavorable alterations in body composition during their transition from adolescence to adulthood. This places young adults at an increased risk for numerous chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular, and/or pulmonary diseases. Objectives: This study aimed to determine if concurrent aerobic and resistance calisthenic training could reduce cardiopulmonary disease risk in young adults in a low resource setting. Methods: Thirty young adult males were randomly assigned to either a six-week non-exercising control group (NON) or concurrent aerobic or resistance traininggroup(CON) thatengaged in three, non-consecutive, 60-minute exercise sessions using a combination of 4 - 5 progressive resistance training exercises for two sets of 15 - 20 repetitions and 30 minutes of aerobic exercises at a rating of perceived exertion of 9 - 15. This study assessed anthropometry (body mass, stature, body mass index waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-stature ratio, sumof skinfolds, percentage body fat, fat mass, fat free mass and conicity index) and lung function (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expired volume in one second (FEV1), forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity ratio (FEV1/FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal expiratory flow at 75% (MEF75%), maximal expiratory flow at 50% (MEF50%) and maximal expiratory flow at 25 (MEF25%). Results: Concurrent training resulted in significant (P-0.05) improvements in waist-to-hip ratio (0.94-0.04 to 0.92-0.05; P = 0.042), fat free mass (57.46-9.16 to 58.21-8.65 kg; P = 0.018), percentage body fat (14.56-5.96 to 13.24-5.77%, P = 0.006), fat mass (10.22-5.31 to 9.29-5.17 kg; P = 0.008), sum of skinfolds (96.22-35.64 to 87.67-32.15 mm; P = 0.004), PEF (5.06-2.04 to 6.57- 2.51 L; P = 0.018), MEF75% (4.78-2.01 to 6.24-1.99 L.sec-1; P = 0.026), MEF50% (4.08-1.20 to 5.24-1.44 L.sec-1; P = 0.043) and MEF25% (2.66-0.63 to 3.31-1.87 L.sec-1; P = 0.038). Conclusions: The findings support the feasibility and efficacy of a simple and inexpensive concurrent aerobic and resistance training program to simultaneously improve body composition and lung function in an attempt to curb the increasing incidence of overweight/obesity and associated lung dysfunction in young adults in a low resource setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]