Bulent Agbuga

A comparison of the effects of hatha yoga and resistance exercise on mental health and well-being in sedentary adults: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES Physical activity has a positive effect on peoples mental health and well-being. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of hatha yoga and resistance exercises on mental health and well-being in sedentary adults. DESIGN Randomized controlled study. METHODS Fifty-one participants aged mean (SD) 25.6 (5.7) years were randomly divided into three groups: Hatha Yoga Group, Resistance Exercise Group and Control Group. The Hatha Yoga Group and Resistance Exercise Group participated in sessions three days per week for 7 weeks and the Control Group did not participate in any sessions. All the subjects were evaluated through the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Body Cathexis Scale, Nottingham Health Profile and Visual Analog Scale for fatigue pre-and post-session. RESULTS Significant improvements were found in terms of all outcome measures in the Hatha Yoga Group and the resistance exercise group. No improvements were found in the Control Group. Hatha yoga more improved the dimensions fatigue, self-esteem, and quality of life, whilst resistance exercise training more improved body image. Hatha yoga and resistance exercise decreased depression symptoms at a similar level. CONCLUSION The results indicated that hatha yoga and resistance exercise had positive effects on mental health and well-being in sedentary adults. Hatha yoga and resistance exercise may affect different aspects of mental health and well-being.

The Effects of Water Exercises and Swimming on Physical Fitness of Children with Mental Retardation

The Effects of Water Exercises and Swimming on Physical Fitness of Children with Mental Retardation The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of water exercises and swimming on physical fitness of children with mental retardation. Nine trainable and 7 educable male children (n = 16) were recruited from a rehabilitation center. The mean ages of the groups were 12.22±0.49 and 14.71±0.52 years, respectively. Training program was applied for 10-week, two times a week for 40 minute each session. Pre- and post-tests measurements were taken for cardiovascular endurance, muscle endurance, speed, static balance, and agility. Results showed that both groups improved significantly (p<0.05) in all dependent variables. Water exercises and swimming appear to be a viable and effective way to improve physical fitness capacity of the children with mental retardation.

Students’ attitudes toward an after-school physical activity programme

Though considerable research on student attitudes has been conducted in physical education, little information exists concerning student attitudes toward after-school physical activity programmes. This study assessed students’ attitudes toward their after-school physical activity programme located in southwest Texas, USA. Participants included 158 students in grades three to six, with ages ranging from eight to 12 years. They completed a five-item attitude questionnaire drawn from the attitude literature. Twenty students were also randomly selected and interviewed individually. Both the questionnaire and interview data indicated students in this study had positive attitudes toward their after-school physical activity programme. The interview data further revealed that students had positive attitudes primarily because they had fun, played a variety of games, and benefited from participation in the physical activities. Students’ attitudes were also examined in relation to their attendance of the programme. No significant relationship was found between the two variables.

Reliabity and Validity of the Trichotomous and 2×2 Achievement Goal Models in Turkish University Physical Activity Settings

Reliabity and Validity of the Trichotomous and 2×2 Achievement Goal Models in Turkish University Physical Activity Settings The present research is designed to continue exploration of the reliability and validity of the 2 × 2 and trichotomous achievement goal frameworks in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) Turkish undergraduate physical activity courses. One hundred and fifty eight Turkish undergraduate students (116 males; 42 females) served as participants. They completed both the trichotomous and 2 × 2 achievement goal scales. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to examine and construct the validity of both the 2 × 2 and trichotomous achievement goal models. The results showed that the 2 × 2 achievement goal model represents an adequate fit to the data (X 2/df = 1.66, CFI = 0.91, GFI = 0.93, NNFI = 0.89, and RMSEA = 0.06). Cronbachs alpha coefficients for the mastery-approach, performance-approach, mastery-avoidance, and performance-avoidance goals were 0.65, 0.68, 0.72, and 0.60, respectively, indicating acceptable internal consistency. However, CFA analysis pointed out that the trichotomous achievement goal model provided a poor fit to the data (X 2/df = 1.59, CFI = 0.85, GFI = 0.88, NNFI = 0.69, and RMSEA = 0.06), although Cronbachs alpha coefficients in the trichotomous achievement goal model indicated acceptable reliability (mastery goals = 0.70, performance-approach goals = 0.73, and performance-avoidance goals = 0.64). Results from the present study indicate that only the 2 × 2 achievement goal model provides a reliable and valid measure of achievement goals for Turkish undergraduate students.

Investigation of Elite Taekwondo Athletes’ Coping Styles with Stress

Bu arastirma, Elit duzeydeki kadin ve erkek taekwondo sporcularinin stresle basa cikma tarzlarinin incelenmesi ve karsilastirilmasi amaciyla gerceklestirilmistir. Calismamiza yas ortalamasi 21.09 ± 2,709 olan Turkiye Taekwondo Şampiyonasina katilan gonullu 55 kadin taekwondocu ile 56 erkek taekwondocu olmak uzere toplam 111 sporcu katilmistir. Arastirmada veri toplama araci olarak Folkman ve Lazarus tarafindan gelistirilen, Şahin ve Durak (1995) tarafindan kisaltmasi ve universite ogrencilerine uyarlamasi yapilan 30 maddelik “Stresle Basa Cikma Tarzlari Olcegi (SBTO)” kullanilmistir. Olcegin bes tane alt boyutu bulunmaktadir. Bu alt boyutlardan “kendine guvenli yaklasim”, “iyimser yaklasim” ve “sosyal destege basvurma” stresle basa cikma acisindan etkili yollar olarak degerlendirilirken, “caresiz yaklasim” ve “boyun egici yaklasim” etkisiz yollar olarak degerlendirilmektedir. Verilerin analizinde Mann-Whitney U test analizi kullanilmistir. Arastirmamizin sonucunda kadin ve erkek elit taekwondo sporcularinin stresle basa cikma tarzlari arasinda; “kendine guvenli yaklasim” puani (z = -3,355, p = .001), “iyimser yaklasim” (z = -4,077, p= .000) alt boyutlarinda istatistiki olarak erkek sporcular lehine anlamli bir fark bulunmustur. Diger yandan elit taekwondo kadin ve erkek sporcularinda “boyun egici yaklasim” (z = -.006, p = .995), “caresiz yaklasim” (z = -.920, p=.358) ve “sosyal destege basvurma” (z = -1.887, p = .059) alt olcek puanlari arasinda istatistiki olarak anlamli bir fark bulunamamistir