This article presents a historical perspective through the story of Alvin Roy, the first modern strength coach. Roy went against the common belief in the 1950s that weight lifting made athletes slow and bulky. When the football coaches at Istrouma High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, allowed him to set up and supervise a weight-training program,…

Objective: The authors evaluated whether motivational signage influenced rates of stair use relative to elevator use on a college campus. Participants: In March and April 2004, the authors observed students, faculty, staff, and any visitors accessing a college campus building. Methods: During Phase I, the authors monitored ascending stair and…

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a fast, easy to administer, and relatively inexpensive method of evaluating body composition. Due to the ease of operation, interest in using BIA to estimate percentage of body fat (%BF) has grown, especially in settings where body composition assessments are often performed without the benefit of…

This article describes the benefits of integrating yoga into elementary physical education classes. Taught as warm-up exercises or as an entire class, yoga offers children of any age and physical ability the opportunity to experience success in physical activity. Children need to experience joy while participating in physical activity in order to…

Although reports on the positive effects of fitness and exercise predominate in the exercise literature, some researchers describe frequent exercise as compulsive or addictive behavior. This paper addresses these "negative addictions" of exercise. As early as 1970, researchers recognized the addictive qualities of exercise. Short-term…

This book identifies the components of physical fitness that are related to positive health as distinct from the simple performance of specific motor tasks. The positive health concept is expanded to further clarify the relationship of physical fitness to total fitness. The disciplinary knowledge base that is essential for fitness professionals is…

Current knowledge in the area of muscle physiology is a basis for a discussion on strength training programs. It is now recognized that the expression of strength is related to, but not dependent upon, the size of the muscle and is probably more related to the ability to recruit more muscle fibers in the contraction, or to better synchronize their…

This report by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports examines the effects of various forms of physical exercise on the knee joint which, because of its vulnerability, is especially subject to injury. Discussion centers around the physical characteristics of the joint, commonly used measurements for determining knee stability,…

Boys with (n=16) and without (n=18) intellectual disability (ID) performed the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) on two separate occasions. Comparable levels of reliability and agreement were found on the WAnT for both groups. However, the performances of boys with ID were more variable, less powerful, and resulted in lower post-exercise blood lactose…

Some commonly misused or abused exercises which are potentially harmful are identified. Each questionable exercise is illustrated, its potential for harm discussed, and an alternative suggested. Ten general rules are offered to help teachers, coaches, exercise leaders, and individuals avoid exercise-related injuries. (IAH)

Appropriate physical conditioning can improve the physical and psychological health of pregnant students, ease delivery, aid recovery, and contribute to fetal health. This article discusses the importance of exercise during pregnancy, effects of exercise on maternal and fetal systems, and outlines precautions and guidelines for an exercise plan.…

Patients with chronic conditions such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity might benefit from prescribed exercise. Although exercise does not reverse pathologic changes, it may play a role in disease management. (JD)

The first purpose of this study was to determine a possible explanation for the variability in the response to eccentric exercise by having participants repeat the same exercise 1 year apart. The second purpose was to examine whether initial injury in response to eccentric exercise was associated with the extent of the repeated bout effect (RBE).…

The language shortcuts used in text messages are becoming evident in students' academic writing assignments. This qualitative study sought to determine if the use of the shortcuts has an adverse impact on developmental students' spelling and grammar skills. This research was based on the constructivist theory, which rationalizes that students use…