Physical Activity

Sport

physical involvement in organised games or activities within an accepted set of rules

Incidental Activity

Any activity that builds up in small amounts during the day, such as housework and walking for transport where physical activity is not the primary goal

Active transport

Any form of human-powered transportation to get to and from work, school or specific destinations

Exercise

Activity that is planned, structured and repetitive to improve or maintain health and/or fitness (including training)

Recreation activities

activities that stimulate the mind and body

Leisure activities

restful activities including physical activity

Moderate-intensity physical activity

Physical activity performed at a level that causes the heart to beat faster and some shortness of breath, while the person can still talk comfortably. An intensity that may last between 30 and 60 minutes

Formal activity

Activity that is scheduled, organised and structured

Informal activity

Activity that lacks structure 

Physical inactivity

a person undertaking insufficient physical activity to achieve measurable health outcomes by not engaging in any regular physical activity beyond daily activities

Regular physical activity

Activity performed on most days of the week, preferably all days

Sedentary behaviour

Amount of time per day sitting or lying down other than sleeping

Leisure time activity domain

Any activity that is outside of the workplace performed during recreation spare time with the freedom to choose an enjoyable activity.

Household domain of physical activity

Tasks carried out around the house such as vacuuming, cleaning or gardening

Occupational domain of physical activity

Activity that a person performed reularly as part of their occupation

Active transport domain of physical activity

Any form of human powered transportation

The physical activity pyramid

Frequency

Number of times a person engages in physical activity 

Intensity

How much effort is required

Time

How long the person is active within the given time period

Types of activity

The range of activities that people can engage in

Methods of determining activity intensity

• Talk test

• Perceived exertion

• Heart Rate 

• Metabolic equivalent (MET)

Physical benefits of physical activity

• Improved cardiovascular function

• Improved strength and endurance

• Increased resistance to fatigue

• Maintain healthy body weight: Greater lean body mass and less body fat

• Improved flexibility

• increase bone density

Social benefits of physical activity

• Decrease social isolation

• Improve self-concept

• Improve quality of life and sense of wellbeing

• Enhance engagement

• Increase sense of belonging and attachment

• increase enjoyment of physical activity

• Enhance social networks

Mental health benefits of physical activity

• Increase focus

• decrease anxiety and depression

• increase quality of sleep

• improve brain function

Emotional health benefits of physical activity

• feel happier

• increase degree of feeling emotionally secure, relaxed and able to cope with the demands of everyday life

• calm under pressure

Spiritual health benefits of physical activity

• sense of belonging

• finding meaning in something

• quiet in the mind

Enabler

factors that support and facilitate implementation, increase access to resources and encourage or support a person to participate in physical activity

Barrier

Obstacle that impedes implementation, use or access to physical activity

Social enabler factors

• family support

• peer support

Cultural enabler factors

• language

• beliefs

Environmental/policy enabler factors

• natural environments

• built environments

• supportive policies 

Individual enabler factors

• gender

• socio-economic status

• self-efficacy 

Sociocultural barrier factors

• Medical conditions

• Feeling uncomfortable in environment

• Living in regional area

Patterns in data

observable, regular, repeated sequences or relationships in the groups represented by the data.

Trends in data

the overall patterns in the data

Outliers

values that are significantly different to the others in the data set

variables

factors in an experiment that may change

independent variable

the thing being changed 

on the x-axis

dependent variable

the thing being measured

on the y-axis

prevalance

how often a behaviour occurs

cyclical pattern

increasing, decreasing then increasing again

bias

source of untruthful data

response bias

a psychological phenomenon where participants untruthfully answer a survey to make themselves look or feel better

trend for physical activity as age increases

Decreasing trend in number of people who met the physical activity guidelines showing that as age increases, people are less likely to be doing sufficient physical activity

why are females less likely to meet the physical activity guidelines 

As mothers, women are more likely to prioritise the wellbeing of their children over their own and as a result spend more time looking after their children

Australian Government Guidelines for physical activity for under 12 month olds

30 minutes of tummy time per day

Australian Government Guidelines for physical activity for 1-2 year olds

3 hours energetic play per day

Australian Government Guidelines for physical activity for 3-4 year olds

3 hours play per day

Australian Government Guidelines for physical activity for 5-17 year olds

1 hour moderate to vigorous mainly aerobic exercise per day 

Vigorous activities at least 3 of these days

Several hours of light activity each day

Australian Government Guidelines for strength training for 5-17 year olds

at least 3 days per week

Australian Government Guidelines for physical activity for 18-64 years olds

Be active on most preferably all days 

2.5-5 hours moderate activity

1.25-2.5 vigorous activity

Australian Government Guidelines for physical activity for 65+ year olds

30 minutes of moderate activity on most preferably all days

Australian Government Guidelines for strength training for 18-64 year olds

At least 2 days a week

Australian Government Guidelines for strength training for 65+ year olds

A range of activities that incorporate strength, flexibility, balance and fitness

Purposes of measuring physical activity

• Population monitoring

• To implement intervention programs

• For individuals to see health levels

Objective

Based on facts and measurable data

Subjective

Bases on opinions, beliefs or feelings

Examples of objective measures

• heart rate

• direct observation

• accelerometer

• pedometer

• wearable technology

Examples of subjective measures

• Diary or log

• Questionaire

• recall survey

• Self-report

• Proxy report

Advantages of objective measures

• Specific backed up with data

• Non-invasive

• Instant feedback

• Track personal goals

Advantages of subjective measures

• Capture quantitative and qualitative data

• quick and easy

• low cost

• large number of participants

• low burden

Intervention

Making a change to incorporate strategies as part of a comprehensive physical activity progrmam

Disadvantages of objective meausres

• High cost

• Low number of participants

• Not available for all

Disadvantages of subjective measures

• response bias may impact results

Proxy report

An individual reporting on behalf of someone else unable to complete it such as parents completing a survey on behalf of their child

How long does it generally take to see a behavioural change

12 weeks 

Metabolic equivalent (MET)

1 MET is the amount of energy you expend at rest, and 2 METs is twice the energy expenditure of resting levels

Reactivity

When individuals alter their behaviour because they are aware they are being observed

disadvantages of pedometers

• inaccurate

• only walking no other features

• no data storage

• no intensity or energy expenditure

advantages of pedometers

• easy to use

• low cost

• light weight

• immediate feedback

advantages of direct observation

• capture other variables in environment

• use in variety of settings

• qualitative and quantitative 

disadvantages of direct obersvation

• time consuming

• difficult with large group

• small data set

• bias

SOPLAY

system designed for observing play and leisure activity in youth

designed to be used in school settings to  record the number of students and their physical activity levels during play and leisure opportunities in a specified activity area

SOFIT

system for observing fitness instruction time assess PE classes physical activity levels by enabling the researcher to simultaneously collect data on student activity levels, lesson context and teacher behaviour

Suitability of measures for assessing physical activity levels for certain groups

Steps for physical activity behaviour change through intervention and evaluation

Baseline measure

Intervention

Mediator

Post intervention measure

Mediator

mechanism through which an intervention is believed to have influence on physical activity

Social-Ecological Model (SEM)

That physical activity may change due to many influences

Reciprocal causation

The interaction between the individual and the environment

individual behaviour can influence the environment, and the environment can influence individual behaviour.

Individual influences on physical activity

• Demographics

• Biological 

• cognitive or affective

• behavioural

Social environment influences on physical activity

• supportive behaviours

• social climate

• culture

Natural environment influences on physical activity

• weather

• geography

Constructed environment influences on physical activity

• urban/suburban environement

• architecture

• transportation

• entertainment

• infrastructure

Policy and organisational influences on physical activity

• incentives for activity or inactivity

• resources and infrastructure made available 

How can intervention strategies be successful

Involve multiple factors like social, physical environment or policy factors

Framework for critiquing physical activity intervention programs based on the social-ecological mode

Who 

What

Where

How

Outcome

Key promotion groups

• the Australian Government’s Department of Health

• state and local governments

• government agencies

• non-government agencies and organisations

• national sporting organisations (NSOs) and state sport associations (SSAs)

• the Australian Sports Commission

• local sporting clubs and coaches

• sporting and recreational providers

• schools

• parents

• commercial industries

• allied healthcare providers

• researchers.

Health related fitness components

Aerobic power

Muscular strength

Muscular endurance

Flexibility

Balance

Functional Movement Assessment

undertaken prior to participating in a personalised plan which aims to evaluate an individuals functional movement patterns and can indirectly measure health related fitness components

Reasons for undertaking a Functional movement assessment before beginning a program

• identify movement limitations 

• build a strong foundation

• establish a baseline

• monitor progress over time

• prevent injuries

• educate client to understand their strengths and weaknesses

Slogan for why it is important to assess

If you’re not assessing, you’re guessing

How to select appropriate tools

• Are they able

• Client goals

stages of an FMA

Pre-participation health screen and informed consent

Select appropriate FMA tools

Conduct initial FMA and discuss client goals

create and implement personalised plan

conduct post-plan FMA

Areas of FMA to assess

• Push

• Pull

• Aerobic power

• Range of Motion

• brace/hold

• squat/lunge

Informed consent

Assessor explaining to client;

what the assessment will involve

benefits of participating

that they can withdraw consent and stop the assessment anytime

risks of the assessment

Facilitator must get signature prior to assessment and if under 18 parental consent

Physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q)

Adult Pre-Exercise Screening System (APSS)

Physiological considerations for FMA

If too easy or too hard plan won’t be tailored so a pre-participation health screen should be conducted

Pre-participation health screen tools

• Physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q)

• Adult pre-exercise screening system (APSS)