This book outlines a carefully developed program for physical fitness. The concept of physical fitness and its physiological basis are examined and guidelines are laid down to enable the reader to evaluate an individual physical exercise program commensurate with his or her age and physical condition. Advanced conditioning methods are described as…

Developed in response to the need for a better understanding of how to measure and evaluate physical skill performance in an economical and practical manner, this book provides data which should augment the physical educator's evaluation skills. The objectives were to develop within the prospective physical education teacher a greater…

A significant relationship exists between a person's body concept and his general self-concept. Physical educators need to be more concerned with the development of the body concept in children. Understanding how the growth process affects performance ability can help the teacher plan activities based on individual readiness factors. (JN)

A theoretical framework for incorporating relaxation instruction in the physical education curriculum is presented based on the assumption that relaxation is a muscular-skeletal skill benefitting general motor skill acquisition. Theoretical principles, a definition of relaxation, and an analysis of stages of skill development are also used in the…

Focuses on preventing performance-related injuries for music students. Discusses techniques for preventing injury, such as warm-ups, information on stretching and strength training, exercises for the upper arms, torso, and for selected muscle groups. Includes illustrations for some exercises. (CMK)

This study established criterion-referenced standards for selected tests of arm and shoulder girdle strength and endurance in college females. Tests of trained and untrained students using the contrasting groups method yielded criterion cutoff scores that classified subjects as trained or untrained based on upper arm and shoulder girdle resistance…

For many years, physical education instructors have been hesitant to include strength training activities in the elementary curriculum. This is a result of confusing and conflicting information regarding the safety and effectiveness of strength training for young children. Recent research published and compiled by well-informed physicians suggests…

Physical educators have an opportunity to promote outdoor activities to students. In elementary school, physical educators can introduce non-mechanized activities that students can then enjoy in outdoor environments. One of these activities is bouldering, which is climbing or traversing across a climbing wall a few feet off the ground. Bouldering…

A longitudinal study was used to examine age differences in the role of body mass index (BMI) and sociocultural pressures in predicting changes in body image and strategies to both lose weight and increase muscles among 443 children aged between 8 and 12 years (207 boys, 236 girls) over a 16-month period. The strongest predictors of body image and…

This pilot study assessed the physical and psychological outcomes of a tai chi exercise program for eight adults with visual impairments. It found that after eight weeks of orientation and mobility training and tai chi practice, the participants' single leg-stance time and total knee flexion work and power improved, as did their frequency of,…

Most authorities consider balance to be a component of skill-related physical fitness. Balance, however, is directly related to health, especially for older adults. Falls are a leading cause of injury and death among the elderly. Improved balance can help reduce falls and contribute to older people remaining physically active. Balance is a…

The authors' purpose in this action study was to examine the effect of a 10-week intervention, using the Disconnected Values Model (DVM), on changes in selected measures of fitness, blood lipids, and exercise adherence among 51 university faculty (10 men and 41 women) from a school in the southeastern United States. The DVM is an intervention…

Wellness, or holistic health, represents a positive attitude toward the integration of physical and psychological aspects of lifestyle. There have been few attempts to assess wellness that contain more than questionnaire items across several component areas. This paper describes a test battery that includes physical (nutrition, cardiorespiratory…

An overview of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) studies dealing with the effect of extended space flight on the human body is presented. The results of experiments investigating weight loss, posture change, sleep habits, limb size, and motor skills are some of the topics discussed. Bibliographies, source lists, charts, and…