The eighteenth century was an important period in the history of interest in active physical pursuits as a means of attaining and maintaining sound health and long life. (JD)

A study compared 10 visually impaired and 10 sighted girls on a discontinuous incremental treadmill test and found no significant difference between the peak oxygen intake of the 2 groups. The results indicate that visually impaired children can attain aerobic fitness levels similar to those of sighted children. (Author/CR)

Tested the mastery hypothesis as an explanation for the affective benefits of acute exercise. Undergraduate women from a self-selected aerobic dance class rated their exercise performance following class. Affect questionnaires were completed before and at 5 and 20 minutes after the class. Results showed an overall improvement in affect following…

Examines data from research on stretching as it relates to enhanced performance and injury prevention so that fitness, exercise, and sports performance professionals can make informed decisions about stretching programs for clients. The paper notes that stretching is a misunderstood component of fitness and sports training. Few studies show…

Examined whether anxiety-reducing conditions of low- and moderate-intensity cycling exercise would lead to changes in emotional responsiveness to pictures designed to elicit pleasant neutral, and unpleasant emotions among healthy female college students. Results indicated that cycling exercise resulted in decreased baseline activity of facial…

Examined types and frequencies of musculoskeletal injuries among adults with above average activity levels enrolled in the Dallas Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. Participant surveys and examinations indicated that one-quarter of all respondents reported musculoskeletal injuries (most of which were activity- related). Sport participants had the…

Developed an instrument to measure the aerobic exercise equipment preference of a frail older population and applied many-facet Rasch analysis to study construct validity and equipment preferences. Results for 16 participants show the usefulness of many-facet Rasch analysis in guiding instrument revision. (SLD)

Investigated the effects of exercise programs on changes in body mass, fat-free mass, and body fat in obese children and adolescents. Research review indicated that exercise effectively helped reduce children's and adolescents' body composition variables. The most favorable body alterations occurred with low- intensity, long-duration exercise;…

Because football season becomes dangerous when warm weather collides with the need for protective gear, researchers investigated critical heat balance limits in non-heat- acclimatized men who wore various football uniform ensembles and exercised at 35 percent VO2 max in a programmable environmental chamber. The air temperature and humidity limits…

Summarizes proposed variables linked with higher incidences of anterior cruciate ligament tears in females and the biomechanical aspects of the lower extremity during the performance of common basketball skills, focusing on gender differences in knee joint stability and neuromuscular control, biomechanical aspects of lower extremity skills in…

TARGET is an acronym coined to define the motivational climate influences of Task design, Authority structure, Rewards, Grouping arrangements, Evaluation practices, and Timing. This article explains the benefits of using TARGET with high school weight trainers of all body types, explaining that a mastery- oriented climate is established when the…

Adapts a classical concept to the composition classroom in a prewriting exercise which offers a wide range of benefits. (RS)

Offers a writing pedagogy maintaining that the content of any particular knowledge is largely a function of the language in which that content is expressed. Argues that each of the many languages available within a given language is representative of an approach to knowledge. Discusses the theoretical base for the pedagogy. Offers a sequence of…

Various treatments for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are described, focusing on the role of exercise. Some physicians prefer to try exercise and others, lifestyle changes before turning to such treatment as psychoactive drugs, vitamin B complex, dopamine agonists, and immunotherapy. Regular exercise has been shown to relieve symptoms of PMS. (SM)

Anecdotal evidence suggests that for some people (including those with physical and mental disabilities), water exercise is safer and more effective than working out on land. U.S. researchers need to verify such claims, and standards need to be developed both for water exercise and for instructor training. (SM)