Physical Activity: Benefits, Determinants and Interventions Flashcards
What is physical activity?
Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure
What are the guidelines for physical activity?
At least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity). Thirty minutes a day, five times a week is an easy goal to remember.
What consists of moderate intensity physical activity?
- Get warmer
- Breathe harder
- Heart beat faster
- Hold a convo
Eg. brisk walking
What consists of vigorous exercise?
- Hard to breathe
- Heart beat rapid
- Difficult to hold convo
Eg. running
What is muscle strenghtening?
Using body weight or external resistance, using all major muscle groups.
How can you minimise sedentary time?
Reduce TV watching, take regular breaks at work
What should older adults (65+) also be doing in terms of guidelines?
Older adults at risk of falls should incorporate PA to improve balance and coordination on two days per week (eg. yoga)
What are the guidelines for 5-18 year olds?
- Moderate to vigorous intensity PA for at least 60 mins (and up to several hours) every day
- Vigorous PA at least 3 days a week
- Minimise sedentery periods
What are benefits of strength training?
Lower mortality, fewer CVD risk factors/events
How often can abdominals be trained?
Everyday as they recover quickly
What are two ways of measuring physical activity levels?
- Self-report - simple Qs, interview, diary
- Objectively - HR monitors, step counters, fitness measures
What epidemic has the decrease in physical activity over the last 50 years lead to?
Obesity
What cancers does physical activity help reduce?
Colon and breast mainly
What are risks of physical activity?
- MSK injury
- Cardiac events tirggered with unaccustomed vigorous exercise in those w CHD
What are the main health beenfits of regular PA?
- Lower mortality
- CVD
- Metabolic (BP, cholesterol, type 3 diabetes)
- Cancer
- MSK health
- Mental health
What effect does physical activity have on depression?
Effective in reducing depression - moderate intensity, aerobic exercise and interventions supervised by exercise professionals prove this.
What are the 4 proposed mechanisms for the psychological benefits of exercise?
- Distraction
- Thermogenic
- Opioid
- Relaxation/stress management
What factors are associated with higher levels of physical activity?
- Higher socio-economic status - eg. safer environment
- Being male - eg. stronger sports culture
- More social support for PA - eg. encouragement
- Fewer barriers to PA - eg. lack of time, not enjoying
- Active childhood - positive experience of PA carried through
- Being younger - less responsibilities
- Lower BMI - eg. psych and physical barriers of high BMI
- Non-smokers - eg. sokers: non-PA culture, CV fitness hampered
What role do genes play in physical activity, in comparison to environment?
Genes - explained whether they enjoyed exercise
Environment - explained levels of physical activity
What has the widest impact in terms of exercise intervention out of the following levels:
- Individual
- Group
- Community
- Societal
Societal - mass media campaigns, transport policy, environment, PE curriculum, insurance incentives
Community also has wide impact but favours those who need it the least
What are the main behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used to promote PA?
- Decision balance sheets
- Goal setting
- Monitoring (diaries)
- Relapse prevention plans
- Other: reward schedules, contracts, stimulus control
What is important when setting a goal specific to exercise? (HINT: FITT)
- Frequency
- Intensity
- Type
- Time
What is a relapse prevention plan?
When a barrier is identified such as it’s raining so can’t go outside for a walk, therefore use an alternative strategy eg. get an exercise video.
What are some individual barriers to physical activity?
- Lack of time
- Illness
- Low self-efficacy
- Lack of ‘exercise’ identity
