458 CLINICAL FINDINGS AS PREDICTORS OF LOW BACK PAIN AMONG A NORMAL WORKING POPULATION SAMPLE WITH LONG FOLLOW‐UP PERIODS

Impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions 6 and 12 months after breast cancer operation.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the impairments of upper body and limbs, activity limitations and participation restrictions 6 and 12 months after operation for breast cancer and to examine the impact of impairments on activity limitations.\ud \ud DESIGN: A prospective survey 6 and 12 months after operation.\ud \ud PATIENTS: Ninety-six breast cancer patients.\ud \ud METHODS: A questionnaire for assessing the impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions was developed.\ud \ud RESULTS: The most common impairments 6 months after operation were breast and axilla scar tightness, axilla oedema and neck-shoulder pain. At 12-month follow-up the breast scar tightness (p=0.008) and axilla o…

Mobility and muscle strength in male former elite endurance and power athletes aged 66−91 years

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare mobility and muscle strength in male former elite endurance and power athletes aged 66-91 years (n = 150; 50 men in both former elite athlete groups and in their control group). Agility, dynamic balance, walking speed, chair stand, self-rated balance confidence (ABC-scale), jumping height, and handgrip strength were assessed. Former elite power athletes had better agility performance time than the controls (age- and body mass index, BMI-adjusted mean difference -3.6 s; 95% CI -6.3, -0.8). Adjustment for current leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and prevalence of diseases made this difference non-significant (P = 0.214). The subjects i…

Effect of Isometric Upper-Extremity Exercises on the Activation of Core Stabilizing Muscles

Abstract Tarnanen SP, Ylinen JJ, Siekkinen KM, Malkia EA, Kautiainen HJ, Hakkinen AH. Effect of isometric upper-extremity exercises on the activation of core stabilizing muscles. Objective To evaluate whether isometric exercises for the upper extremities could sufficiently activate core stabilizing muscles to increase muscle strength. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at a Finnish hospital. Participants Healthy adult women (N=20). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Peak isometric strength of the back and abdominal muscles was measured and relative loading in 5 test exercises was evaluated by surface electromyography. Re…

Measuring deterioration in international classification of functioning domains of people with multiple sclerosis who are ambulatory.

Background and PurposeMeasures to detect important effects related to physical therapy interventions must be able to detect an important change. The purpose of this study was to select the most responsive physical functioning measures for multiple sclerosis (MS) using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a framework.SubjectsThe participants were 120 people with MS who were ambulatory from a population-based sample.MethodsPhysical functioning was assessed by quantitative clinical measures of activities (n=5) and body functions (n=7) and by self-reported performance in self-care, mobility, and domestic life domains in the activities and participation…

Pain and clinical findings in the low back: a study of industrial employees with 5-, 10-, and 28-year follow-ups.

Little is known about the relationships of clinical findings in the low back with low back pain (LBP) in the normal working population. We studied whether physiotherapist's findings in the low back were associated with local and radiating LBP among a cohort (n=902) of employees in the engineering industry. A systematic non-proportional sample was drawn in strata by age, gender, and occupational class. The non-proportionality aimed at increasing sample size in smaller strata. Physiotherapists performed the straight-leg raising test (SRL), and made assessments of the fingertip-to-floor distance and pain in palpation of the lumbar interspinous spaces. The variables on pain at the interspinous …

Neuromuscular function during therapeutic knee exercise under water and on dry land

Abstract Poyhonen T, Keskinen KL, Kyrolainen H, Hautala A, Savolainen J, Malkia E. Neuromuscular function during therapeutic knee exercise under water and on dry land. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82:1446-52. Objectives: To compare muscle activity and resistive drag force during knee extension-flexion exercises while barefoot and while wearing a Hydro Boot (increased frontal area) both under water and on dry land. Design: Participants performed the exercises while seated on an elevator chair under water. Setting: A hydrotherapy pool. Participants: Eighteen healthy persons (10 women, 8 men). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Isokinetic and isometric forces were measured wit…

Neck semispinalis capitis muscle size in sitting and prone positions measured by real-time ultrasonography.

Objective: To examine the reliability of measurements of semispinalis capitis muscle (SECM) cross-sectional area (CSA) in prone and sitting positions, and to compare the muscle size in these two positions. Design: Semispinalis capitis CSA was measured twice a day on two successive days with a real-time ultrasound apparatus. Subjects: Eighteen males (aged 19–34 years) and 28 females (aged 19–34 years) were studied for the reliability test. Seven males and 12 females were randomly selected to compare SECM size in sitting and prone positions. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for repeatability measurements was r = 0.98 for the two positions. The correlation of the CSA in s…

Physical and psychosocial prerequisites of functioning in relation to work ability and general subjective well-being among office workers

Objectives The purpose of the study was to investigate the physical and psychological prerequisites of functioning, as well as the social environment at work and personal factors, in relation to work ability and general subjective well-being in a group of office workers. Methods The study was a descriptive cross-sectional investigation, using path analysis, of office workers. The subjects comprised 88 volunteers, 24 men and 64 women, from the same workplace [mean age 45.7 (SD 8.6) years]. The independent variables were measured using psychosocial and physical questionnaires and physical measurements. The first dependent variable, work ability, was measured by a work ability index. The secon…

Theme: Exercise for low back pain: Low back pain - to exercise or not to exercise?

Reliability of physical functioning measures in ambulatory subjects with MS.

Background and Purpose. One of the primary reasons for measuring outcomes during rehabilitation is to determine the effect of physiotherapy. Repeated measurement situations are susceptible to several sources of error, including inconsistencies caused by the subject, the procedure, the instrument and the examiner. Therefore, the reliability of the measures needs to be examined. Method. The present study used a repeated-measures design. Two studies were undertaken to examine the test–retest and inter-rater reliability for physical functioning measures. The interval between the measurements was one week. The sample consisted of 19 ambulatory subjects with mutliple sclerosis (MS) in the test–re…

Human isometric force production and electromyogram activity of knee extensor muscles in water and on dry land.

This study was designed to determine trial-to-trial and day-to-day reproducibility of isometric force and electromyogram activity (EMG) of the knee extensor muscles in water and on dry land as well as to make comparisons between the two training conditions in muscle activity and force production. A group of 20 healthy subjects (12 women and 8 men) were tested three times over 2 weeks. A measurement session consisted of recordings of maximal and submaximal isometric knee extension force with simultaneous recording of surface EMG from the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris muscles. To ensure identical measurement conditions the same patient elevator chair was used in both th…

Core muscle activation during dynamic upper limb exercises in women.

Although several everyday functions and sporting activities demand controlled use of the abdominal and back muscles while working with the upper limbs, the activity of core muscles during dynamic upper limb exercises in the standing position has not been studied extensively. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine abdominal and back muscle activity during dynamic upper limb exercises while standing and to evaluate whether dynamic exercises are appropriate for strengthening muscles. The activation of the rectus abdominis, obliquus externus abdominis, longissimus, and multifidus muscles during dynamic bilateral or unilateral shoulder exercises with or without fixation of the …

Maximal force, force/time and activation/coactivation characteristics of the neck muscles in extension and flexion in healthy men and women at different ages

This study examined the force production characteristics, activation/coactivation and endurance capacity of the neck extension and flexion muscles in healthy men (n=29) and women (n=28) divided into three age groups (18–26 years, 30–37 years and 45–55 years). Force and electromyography (EMG) measurements were performed during the maximal voluntary isometric extension and flexion actions. This was followed by an endurance test (ET; 60% force level of maximal voluntary contraction sustained until exhaustion), after which the force and EMG recordings were repeated. Men were both stronger and had higher values (P<0.001) for explosive force (rate of force development, RFD) than women in both act…

A physically demanding occupation predicts premature retirement among patients with erosive arthritis

The aim of this study was to assess the intensity of exercise and energy expenditure of patients with recent onset inflammatory arthritis in their occupational environments and leisure time physical activities. The exercise intensities and energy expenditures of 41 early inflammatory arthritis patients and 20 matched healthy controls were assessed in occupational work and in leisure time physical activities during a 3.5-year follow-up using metabolic unit values. Disease activity was assessed by erythrocyte sedimentation rate and Ritchie's articular index. Subjective disability was assessed by the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire and the extent of joint damage on X-rays of the hands…

Exercise programs for subjects with low back disorders.

Exercise has played a central role in rehabilitation of subjects with low back pain. The research in this field has intensified since the 1980s. Low back pain has been associated with both physically stressful and sedentary occupations. There is no clear association between low back pain and physical activity during leisure time. Many studies have shown that subjects with back pain have impairments in muscular and connective tissue, functional limitations in muscular strength, endurance, speed, and neuromuscular functions, and physical, social and psychological disabilities. The ultimate aims of the exercise-based programs are to reduce and prevent these impairments, functional limitations …

Unfavorable influence of structured exercise program on total leisure-time physical activity

In randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with customized structured physical exercise activity (SPEA) interventions, the dose of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) should exceed the LTPA dose of the nonexercising control (C) group. This increase is required to substantiate health improvements achievable by exercise. We aimed to compare the dose of SPEA, LTPA, and total LTPA (SPEA + LTPA) between a randomized Nordic walking (NW) group, a power-type resistance training (RT) group, and a C group during a 12-week exercise intervention in obese middle-aged men (n = 144) with impaired glucose regulation. The dose of physical activity was measured with diaries using metabolic equivalents. No sig…

Power of lower extremities is most important determinant of agility among physically inactive or active adult people

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the relationships between agility, running speed, jumping height and length, body mass index, self-report pain in back and in lower extremities, personal factors as self-report health and fitness, and leisure time physical activity in physically inactive or active adult people. METHODS Altogether, 233 healthy subjects, 149 women (43.0 ± 7.3 years) and 84 men (44.0 ± 7.7 years), participated into study. Outcome measures were described in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health domains. RESULTS Multiple regression analysis showed that jumping length explained 24.6% and 15.3% of the variance ass…

Effects of a three-month active rehabilitation program on psychomotor performance of lower limbs in subjects with low back pain: a controlled study with a nine-month follow-up.

Proper psychomotor performance is needed in work and in activities of daily living, but among subjects with low back pain this area has been studied Little. The present purpose was to evaluate the effect and permanence of a 3-mo. physical exercise program on the psychomotor performance of lower limbs in subjects with low back pain. The associations between psychomotor performance and intensity of low back pain and subjective disability were also evaluated. 90 subjects with nonspecific, subacute low back pain were assigned to one of the three groups: one given three months intensive training, one home exercise, or the control group. Four measurement sessions were made during the 1-yr. study…

Measures of Physical Functioning Predict Self-Reported Performance in Self-Care, Mobility, and Domestic Life in Ambulatory Persons With Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract Paltamaa J, Sarasoja T, Leskinen E, Wikstrom J, Malkia E. Measures of physical functioning predict self-reported performance in self-care, mobility, and domestic life in ambulatory persons with multiple sclerosis. Objective To determine the associations between clinically measured physical functioning variables and self-reported performance in mobility, self-care, and domestic life in ambulatory persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a framework. Design Survey study. Setting Community setting in Finland. Participants A population-based sample of 120 ambulatory persons with MS (30 men, 90 women) wit…

Effects of a workplace physical exercise intervention on the intensity of low back symptoms in office workers: A cluster randomized controlled cross-over design

Objectives. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a workplace physical exercise intervention on the intensity of low back symptoms. Methods. The study was a cluster randomized controlled trial with department (n = 4) as the unit of randomization. The subjects were office workers [(n = 36), mean age 47.1 (SD 8.4) years] who self-reported low back symptoms, which restricted their daily activities during the last 12 months. Low back symptoms were measured using the Borg CR10 scale. The cross-over design consisted of one intervention period of light resistance training and guidance and no training and no guidance of 15 weeks duration. Statistical analyses were based on linear m…

Reproducibility of isometric strength: measurement of neck muscles

Abstract Objective. To evaluate the repeatability of an advanced method of measuring the strength of functionally different groups of neck muscles using an isometric apparatus. Design. A repeated measures design was used within and between sessions. Background. Chronic neck pain has been associated with poor isometric neck strength. In rehabilitation, strength measurements may thus help to evaluate the basic condition and show whether or not treatments and exercises have been beneficial for improving strength. Previous tests have concentrated on testing strength while trying to bend forwards and backwards, but no biomechanics device, able to test rotator muscles, has been presented. Method.…

Neck muscle ultrasonography of male weight-lifters, wrestlers and controls.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the effect of different sport training regimens on the size of the neck semispinalis capitis muscle (SECM). The cross-sectional area (CSA) and the linear dimensions of the SECM were measured bilaterally by real-time ultrasonography. Ten young Finnish elite level weight-lifters. 8 freestyle wrestlers and 10 controls (all male) participated in the study. Muscle CSA was significantly larger in wrestlers than in weight-lifters or controls (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in size between the right and left SECM in any of the subject groups, but the variation between sides (smaller vs. larger) was significantly higher in wres…

Effects of a workplace physical exercise intervention on the intensity of headache and neck and shoulder symptoms and upper extremity muscular strength of office workers: A cluster randomized controlled cross-over trial

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a workplace physical exercise intervention on the perceived intensity of headache and the intensity of symptoms in the neck and shoulders, as well as on the extension and flexion strength of the upper extremities. The study was a cluster randomized controlled trial. The cross-over design consisted of physical exercise intervention (15 weeks) and no-intervention (15 weeks). The subjects (n=53) were office workers (mean age 46.6 (SD 8.4)) who reported headache (n=41) symptoms in the neck (n=37) or shoulders (n=41), which had restricted their daily activities during the last 12 months. Pain symptoms were measured using the Borg CR10 scale …

An experimental controlled study on postural sway and therapeutic exercise in subjects with low back pain.

Objectives: To describe postural sway and its associations to background factors, low back pain and functional capacity. To evaluate the changes in postural sway after three months of therapeutic exercise in the gym or at home. Design: A one-year randomized experimental trial evaluated postural sway in three study groups: intensive training, home exercise and control group. Setting: Subjects were recruited from seven local occupational health care centres in Central Finland and were examined at Central Finland Hospital by medical doctors. Measurements and therapeutic exercise programmes were carried out in the Research Laboratory of Sport and Health Sciences at Jyväskylä University. Subjec…

Evaluation of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS2) in Finnish patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Finnish version of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS2) in Finnish patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods: The reliability of the Finnish AIMS2 (Finn‐AIMS2) questionnaire was assessed by test–retest procedure and internal consistency of health‐status scales. Construct validity was assessed by factor analysis, and convergent validity by correlation coefficients, with several disease activity and functional status variables.Results: Internal consistency was 0.79–0.89 and test–retest reliability 0.72–0.97. Factor analysis identified three factors: physical, psychosocial, and pain. There were strong correlations betw…

Motor development of infants with univentricular heart at the ages of 16 and 52 weeks

Purpose To compare the motor development of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and other types of univentricular heart (UVH) with peers who are healthy at the ages of 16 and 52 weeks. Methods Motor development was assessed with the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). Results Both the 23 patients with HLHS and the 13 patients with UVH had lower total AIMS scores in both observations than the controls. At the age of 52 weeks, patients with HLHS had significantly lower scores in all 4 AIMS subscales, whereas patients with UVH had lower scores only in the prone and standing subscales. Conclusion Motor development of patients with HLHS or UVH is delayed during the first year of …

Power of lower extremities and age were the main determinants on the agility test for adults in a cohort of men aged 66–91 years

Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between agility and personal factors, muscle strength and power, mobility, self-reported balance and physical activity among older men. Methods: Agility was measured by using the Agility Test for Adults (ATA). We studied 100 Finnish male former elite athletes (endurance n = 50; power n = 50) and 50 matched controls aged 66 to 91 years (mean age 75.5 years). The associations between agility and other variables were similar between three groups; thus, multiple linear regression analyses were done by using the pooled data of the participants. Results: On the basis of multiple linear regression analyses, combination of…

The assessment of functional ability in patients with Parkinson's disease: the PLM-test and three clinical tests.

This study assesses functional ability of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients by means of an objective movement analysis (the PLM-test) and three clinical tests. The correlation between the tests was also studied. The main object of this study was to detect and measure relevant disabilities in Parkinson's disease to obtain a clinical test battery.

Muscular performance after a 3 month progressive physical exercise program and 9 month follow-up in subjects with low back pain. A controlled study

The purpose of this study was to assess, in subjects with low back pain, the changes and their permanence in muscular performance after a 3 month progressive physical exercise program. Ninety subjects with chronic low back pain participated in the study. The study design was controlled and it was carried out in three groups: intensive training, home exercise, and control group. Isometric and dynamic muscle strength of the trunk and lower limb were measured, at the beginning of the study and after the 3 months exercise program, and then during each of the follow-up sessions. The Oswestry Index and back pain intensity were also determined. Both exercise groups received benefit from the progre…

Non-structured leisure-time physical activity predicts waist circumference response to Nordic walking in prediabetes

Postoperative education concerning the use of the upper limb, and exercise and treatment of the upper limb: cross-sectional survey of 105 breast cancer patients.

In this retrospective survey we investigated the recall of breast cancer patients (n=105) 6 months after the operation concerning postoperative instructions on exercises for shoulder mobility, and instructions for oedema prevention and treatment, upper limb strength training and the use of the upper limb in daily activities. Patients also described the content in their own words and ranked the instructors who had mostly given this education. Operation type and length of hospital stay did not have any effect on the education recalled, but the age of the respondent had some effect (r=−0.23, p<0.05). The Wilcoxon signed ranks test showed that the most commonly reported item was instructions on…

Effectiveness of a home exercise programme in low back pain: a randomized five-year follow-up study

Background and Purpose. Therapeutic exercise has been shown to be beneficial in decreasing pain and in increasing functioning in patients with chronic low back pain. However, longitudinal follow-up studies are small in number, and often limited in the numbers of subjects due to drop-outs. In addition there is a shortage of real control groups in most cases. The purpose of the present study was to describe long-term changes in intensity of low back pain and in functioning for two study groups five years after undertaking a home exercise programme. Method. This was a randomized follow-up study over five years. Fifty-seven subjects were reassessed with questionnaires five years after their ini…

Electromyographic and kinematic analysis of therapeutic knee exercises under water.

Abstract Objective. This study aimed to evaluate muscle function and kinematics during commonly used knee rehabilitation exercises performed in water. Design. Maximal effort single extension and flexion trials in still water and repeated extension–flexion trials in flowing water in barefoot condition were analysed from 18 healthy participants (8 men, 10 women). Background. Despite the fact that water exercises are widely used, there are only few studies involving biomechanical and hydrodynamical analysis of aquatic exercises in rehabilitation. Methods. Electromyography of the quadriceps (vastus medialis, vastus lateralis) and hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus) and angular ve…

Changes in agonist-antagonist EMG, muscle CSA, and force during strength training in middle-aged and older people

Effects of 6 mo of heavy-resistance training combined with explosive exercises on neural activation of the agonist and antagonist leg extensors, muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) of the quadriceps femoris, as well as maximal and explosive strength were examined in 10 middle-aged men (M40; 42 ± 2 yr), 11 middle-aged women (W40; 39 ± 3 yr), 11 elderly men (M70; 72 ± 3 yr) and 10 elderly women (W70; 67 ± 3 yr). Maximal and explosive strength remained unaltered during a 1-mo control period with no strength training. After the 6 mo of training, maximal isometric and dynamic leg-extension strength increased by 36 ± 4 and 22 ± 2% ( P &lt; 0.001) in M40, by 36 ± 3 and 21 ± 3% ( P &lt; 0.001) in M7…

Determination of hydrodynamic drag forces and drag coefficients on human leg/foot model during knee exercise.

Objective. The purpose of this laboratory experiment was to measure hydrodynamic drag forces in barefoot/hydro-boot conditions and accordingly, to determine the coefficients of drag on human leg/foot model during simulated knee extension–flexion exercise. Design. The prosthesis of the human lower leg was set in a water tank and connected into an isokinetic force dynamometer to measure resistive forces during knee motion. Background. Quantifying resistance for aquatic exercises has been a challenge in hydrotherapy. The use of models of foot/leg provides a practical method to calculate coefficients of drag and to estimate resistance for rehabilitation purposes in musculoskeletal and amputee p…

Efficacy of Physical Therapy Methods and Exercise After a Breast Cancer Operation: A Systematic Review

Effects of a physical exercise intervention on subjective physical well-being, psychosocial functioning and general well-being among office workers: a cluster randomized-controlled cross-over design.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a workplace physical exercise intervention on subjective physical well-being, psychosocial functioning and general well-being. The study was a cluster randomized-controlled trial with the department (n=4) as the unit of randomization. The subjects (n=90) were office workers [mean age 45.7 (SD 8.5) years]. Psychosocial functioning and well-being variables were measured by descriptive visual rating scales. The cross-over design consisted of one 15-week intervention period of light resistance training and guidance and another 15-week period of no training and no guidance. The statistical analysis was based on linear mixed models. The activ…

Effects of long-term home-based exercise on health-related quality of life in patients with chronic neck pain: A randomized study with a 1-year follow-up.

To evaluate whether long-term neck and upper body exercises conducted in economical community-based outpatient clinic and home-based settings could improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL)for individuals affected by chronic neck pain. The effect of baseline HRQoL and neck pain values on training adherence was also studied.Subjects (n = 101, 91 women/10 men, mean age 41.0 ± 9.5 years) with chronic non-specific neck pain were randomized to a combined strength-training and stretching-exercise group (CSSG, n = 49) or to a stretching exercise group (SG, n = 52). HRQoL was assessed at baseline and after 12 months using the RAND-36 questionnaire. Comparisons between groups were performed usi…

Muscle tone in different joint positions and at submaximal isometric torque levels

The aim was to evaluate the tone and electric activity of the quadriceps muscle at rest and different torque levels. The second aim was to study whether thickness of soft tissues and change in the joint position would affect muscle tone. Eighteen healthy subjects participated. Computerized muscle tonometer (CMT) and surface electromyography (sEMG) measurements were performed: seated, first at rest with leg straight and then with the knee at 60 degrees . Thereafter measurements were obtained at levels of 80, 60, 40 and 20% of the maximum isometric torque at the same knee angle. Thickness of skin, subcutis and muscle was measured by ultrasound. The CMT values taken were the depth the indenter…

Muscle strength characteristics and central bone mineral density in women with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis compared with healthy controls.

Muscle strength and bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine (BMDspine) and femoral neck (BMDfem) were determined in 20 healthy women and in 20 women with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The mean duration of articular symptoms of the patients was eleven months and none of them had used glucocorticoids or disease modifying antirheumatic drugs. BMDs were measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Knee extension, trunk extension, and flexion as well as grip strength were measured with David 200 and Digitest dynamometers. BMDspine (1.17 g/cm2 and 1.20 g/cm2) and BMDfem (0.98 g/cm2 and 0.96 g/cm2) between the women with early RA and healthy women did not differ. However, knee ext…

Physical dose of therapeutic exercises in institutional neck rehabilitation

Objective: To determine the intensity and volume of therapeutic exercises during a standard 13-day inpatient neck rehabilitation course in relation to overall physical activity in rehabilitation and everyday life. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Subjects (n=19; 16 women and 3 men; mean age 48.6 years, standard deviation (SD) 6.6) with chronic nonspecific neck pain were recruited from two inpatient neck rehabilitation courses. Intensity and volume of therapeutic exercises and physical activity were measured in metabolic equivalents (METs) with an objective measurement device and all-time recall questionnaire. Maximum oxygen uptake was determined in METs (METc) by direct maximal cycle…

Intensity of physical activity and respiratory function in subjects with and without bronchial asthma.

The aim of this study was to assess the intensity of physical activity of asthmatic adults in Finland and the associations between the intensity of physical activity and respiratory function in asthmatic and nonasthmatic persons. The study population (n=8000) was drawn from the population register to represent the Finnish population aged 30 years or over. Adequate information was available from 7193 subjects (89.9% of the sample). Physical activity at work, at leisure and during commuting was recorded with a standard questionnaire. The responses to the questionnaire were expressed as MET values. Asthma was defined on the basis of self-reports of chronic diseases previously diagnosed by a ph…

Teknologia ilman sisältöä on romua

Cardiorespiratory responses to basic aquatic exercise – A pilot study

This study aimed to examine cardiorespiratory responses to six basic aquatic exercises and to compare the impact of the exercises between healthy females (H group, n=10) and females with diagnosed cardiopulmonary diseases (C group, n=10). The average age of the participants was 52.6(±5.9) years. Each exercise was performed for 3 min. During the exercises, heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), blood lactate concentration (BLA), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured. In each pair of exercises, the latter part was more strenuous than the first. Walking in place was least and cross-country skiing the most strenuous mode of exercise. Energy expenditure (EE) ranged between 2.5±0…