Leonard D. Zaichkowsky

Effects of high-intensity strength training on quality-of-life parameters in cardiac rehabilitation patients

Cardiac rehabilitation programs have not consistently been shown to improve the psychological well being of their patients. In our study of 38 cardiac patients (29 men and 9 women), a variety of quality-of-life parameters were assessed before and after they completed either 12 weeks of high-intensity strength training or flexibility training added to their outpatient cardiac rehabilitation aerobic exercise program. The strength-trained patients increased their self-efficacy scores for lifting (29% vs 4%, p <0.05), push-ups (65% vs. 17%, p <0.01), climbing (36% vs 0%, p <0.001), and jogging (100% vs -9%, p <0.001), when compared with the flexibility-trained patients. The strength group also had greater improvements in Profile of Mood States dimensions: total mood disturbance (123% vs 18%, p <0.05), depression/dejection (73% vs 15%, p <0.05), and fatigue/inertia (42% vs 3% p <0.05), than did the flexibility group. The Medical Outcome Survey Short Form 36 role emotional health domain scores were significantly improved in the strength group when compared with the flexibility group (64% vs 0%, p <0.05), and the role limitation scores improved in both groups. Increases in strength were associated with enhanced self efficacy and improved mood and well-being scores (n = 34, r = 0.30 to 0.53, p <0.05). High-intensity strength training added to a cardiac rehabilitation program of selected patients leads to improvements in quality-of-life parameters. These data, in conjunction with improvements in strength, strongly support the value of adding high-intensity strength training to cardiac rehabilitation programs.

COMPARISON OF HIGH AND MODERATE INTENSITY OF STRENGTH TRAINING ON MOOD AND ANXIETY IN OLDER ADULTS

This study was designed to examine the psychological benefits of anaerobic exercise for older adults. Specifically, strength training was employed to examine the effects on mood and anxiety in a group of healthy but sedentary older women. 36 women (mean age = 68.5 yr.) were randomly assigned to groups given high intensity or moderate intensity strength training or to a control group. Strength training was conducted three days a week for 12 weeks. After the training period, both high and moderate strength-training programs produced marked improvements in muscle strength and body composition compared to the control subjects. The average improvements in the high and moderate intensity strength-training groups for muscle strength were 40.5 and 35.5%, respectively, and for percent body fat 1.52 and 2.50%, respectively. As for psychological changes, both training groups significantly improved positive mood (vigor), and the moderate intensity group significantly reduced trait anxiety compared to means of the control group. Also, both training groups showed some decrease in tension and state anxiety after the training period. These findings provide evidence for the effectiveness of anaerobic training to enhance perception of psychological well-being in older women. A moderate intensity rather than high intensity of training regimen may be more beneficial for sedentary older women to improve psychological health.

The effects of a school‐based relaxation training program on fourth grade children

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a six week relaxation training program on selected physiological and psychological measures of “healthy”; fourth grade children. Twenty four children received 18 lessons on stress and stress management techniques. Nineteen children served as control subjects. Results indicated that the experimental subjects were able to significantly improve their ability to control the physiological stress responses of respiration, heart rate and peripheral skin temperature as well as report a reduction in self‐reported state anxiety. These abilities, with the exception of skin temperature and state anxiety differed significantly from the control children. It was concluded that children can be taught to control “fight‐or‐flight”; responses by incorporating a sound stress/tension control program within an elementary school curriculum. By learning to cope with stress at an early age, children should perform at their optimal level and develop healthier patterns of beh...

Influence of Decision-Making on Attitudes, Creativity, Motor Skills and Self-Concept in Elementary Children

Abstract Attitudes, creativity, self-concept and motor skills were measured to determine the influence of decision-making on elementary children. Three groups of children (N = 208) were tested, one group was taught with the teacher dominating all classroom decisions, another group was encouraged to share in the decision-making, and a third group served as a control. Data were collected immediately before and after an eight-week instructional period. MANCOVA indicated that the two treatment groups had significantly higher scores than did the control group, and the shared decision-making group scored significantly higher than the teacher dominated group on measures of creativity, motor skills and self-concept. A 2 (treatment) × 2 (sex) × 5 (grade) ANOVA revealed significantly more positive attitude scores for children allowed to make decisions regarding their learning. Further, Pearson product-moment correlation showed the tested variables to be independent measures of a childs development.

Explanatory style among elite ice hockey athletes.

‘Mentally tough’ athletes show resilience and an ability to compete during adverse conditions. The present study investigated mental toughness and assessed causal explanations for positive and negative reactions to imagined events using Seligmans Attributional Style Questionnaire Pessimistic Explanatory style on this scale is a risk factor for negative affect and behavior following negative events. 38 elite athletes in ice hockey were rated for mental toughness by the National Hockey Leagues scouts on consensually derived criteria. The comparison of players above and below the median split on mental toughness showed composite explanations for negative events that were more internal, stable and global for players above the median Contrary to predictions, these results suggest that a Pessimistic Explanatory style may benefit hockey performance.

BIOFEEDBACK AND MEDITATION: EFFECTS ON MUSCLE TENSION AND LOCUS OF CONTROL

A total of 48 subjects participated in a relaxation experiment to determine whether frontalis muscle EMG biofeedback, Transcendental Meditation, and meditation (Benson technique) produced decreased muscle tension and concomitant changes in locus of control. All three treatments resulted in significant decreases in frontalis muscle tension when compared to a control. Concomitant changes towards an internal locus of control occurred only in the subjects given biofeedback.

Decision-Making in Elementary Age Children: Effects on Motor Skills and Self-Concept

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of vertical and horizontal teaching models on the development of specific motor skills and self-concept in elementary-aged children. The treatment group consisted of 230 Boston school children, grades one through five, who participated either in a physical activity program in which the teacher made all the decisions (vertical model) or in a program in which they shared in the decision-making process (horizontal model). An additional 115 elementary school children were used as a control group. The Cheffers Adaptation of Flanders Interaction Analysis System was used to verify the two treatments used in the study. The Body Coordination Test was used to test motor skill development, and the Martinek-Zaichkowsky Self-Concept Scale for Children was used to measure self-concept. Results indicated that a teacher-directed approach appears to be best for the development of motor skills and that a student-sharing approach has a definite positive effect ...

Physical, Motor, and Fitness Development in Children and Adolescents.

The purpose of this paper is to help fill the void that exists in the teacher preparation literature on the topic of physical, motor, and fitness development of children and adolescents. The first section describes important physical and motor development characteristics of children from early childhood to adolescence. Theories of motor skill development are then discussed, followed by practical applications for parents and teachers. The final section treats the problem of declining fitness levels in children and concludes with recommendations for improving physical fitness in school-age children.

Performance Enhancement with Low Stress and Anxiety Modulated by Cognitive Flexibility

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare cognitive flexibility abilities, stress, and anxiety between starters and non-starter athletes. Methods A total of 30 male professional-soccer and 40 professional-baseball athletes were recruited. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Trail Making Test A & B (TMT A & B) were administered to assess cognitive flexibility during competition. The Korean version of the STAI form Y (STAI-KY) and Visual analogue scale for anxiety and stress were used to assess the anxiety and stress. Results The starter group had better cognitive function (fewer perseverative errors and rapid TMTB times) (Z=3.32, p<0.01; Z=2.20, p=0.03, respectively) and lower stress and anxiety (F=4.34, p=0.01; F=6.61, p<0.01, respectively) during competition than the non-starter group. Conclusion The better cognitive performances were negatively correlated with stress and anxiety. Current results suggested that cognitive flexibility would enhance human performance by modulation of the anxiety and stress during competition.

PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIVITY IN ACCULTURATION: A STUDY OF FEMALE JAPANESE STUDENTS

Several investigations have indicated that length of residence can predict acculturation associated with stress. However, there have been no studies from a psychophysiological perspective to assess whether length of residence affects physiological reactivity. The purpose of this study was to compare reactivity to psychological stress in female Japanese students of long- and short-term residence at a large university in northeastern USA, after administering a stress questionnaire to examine stress in adjusting to their US academic lives. 12 subjects were randomly chosen for each group (short- and long-term residence) from an initial population of 90 students. The subjects were presented three stressors (English-reading, stress-imagination, and arithmetic) for 2 min. each, with a 6-min. recovery period following each stressor. A significant interaction appeared for groups over time on heart-rate reactivity While the long-term group had a linear component in heart rate across time for the tasks, the short-term group did not. Although the short-term group had higher skin temperature than the long-term group, only the short-term group had a tendency to increase skin temperature after the tasks. These data suggest that continued study of physiological reactivity to stress may be useful for developing techniques for coping with acculturative stress.