Exercise may postpone the deterioration in response speed that generally appears in the motor system of the aging by maintaining the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in the brain. Exercise may also ameliorate symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Results of laboratory studies involving animals and rats are reported. (Author/PP)

School physical education programs can be an invaluable source of information, support, and help for overweight children and adolescents. Such programs can stress the value of exercise and individually designed fitness plans and emphasize nutrition in weight control. Basic elements for designing such programs are discussed. (PP)

Social interaction and physical activity are important aspects of health maintenance for the aged. A holistic approach to the care of the elderly in nursing homes would involve a team of professionals who encourage residents to pursue such tasks as adaptation to loss, and maintenance of physical activity to retain function. (JN)

The Cardiovascular Appraisal and Prescription Program is designed to provide safe initiating procedures for the beginning jogger. By using this procedure, the participant learns how to pace the amount of jogging according to the present level of fitness. A self-administered stress monitor worksheet and a sample exercise workout are included. (JN)

A significant relationship exists between a person's body concept and his general self-concept. Physical educators need to be more concerned with the development of the body concept in children. Understanding how the growth process affects performance ability can help the teacher plan activities based on individual readiness factors. (JN)

The oxygen uptake and heart rate of men and boys were determined and compared using a continuous incremental bicycle ergometer test. Both groups had similar patterns for consistency, but the children had smaller individual difference variations for both oxygen uptake and heart rate. (FG)

The effects of seating distance and orientation on small-group behavior were investigated in male and female four-person groups. The nonfacing orientation produced more frequent self-manipulative behaviors and postural adjustments and longer pauses than the facing orientation. Processes underlying orientation effects and their potential…

Presents strategies that physical education teachers can use to encourage their students to lead physically active lives. The strategies include: focus on lifelong physical activity; use goal setting and self-assessment; inspire students by personal example; model skills (either a teacher or skilled student may do the modeling); and combine…

Established the psychometric properties of the Self-Motivation Inventory for Children (SMI-C) using tests of factorial validity, factorial invariance, latent mean structure, and predictive validity. Two cohorts of black and white adolescent girls completed the SMI-C and various physical activity measures. The single-factor, positively worded,…

Adults with mental retardation (76 men, 74 women) reported their leisure time physical activity (LTPA). Men and women in community settings were similarly inactive, with 47% to 51% participating in little to no LTPA. Forty-two% to 47% reported participating in moderate to vigorous LTPA five or more times per week. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Investigated the physical activity of 514 children enrolled in nursery schools and day care centers. Among study results are findings that preschool children are not engaged in vigorous physical activity year round, boys are more physically active than girls, and children in nursery school are more physically active than children in day care. (RJC)

A survey determining the extent to which high school physical education teachers offered cardiorespiratory instruction found that more teachers than not regularly provided such instruction, with female teachers more likely to offer instruction than males. Physical fitness levels of the teachers did not appear to affect the amount of instruction…

Explains the basic constructs of the transtheoretical model, which offers an explanation of the structure of change that occurs when adults attempt to change behavior. The paper discusses application of strategies that physical educators in postsecondary and community settings may employ to facilitate the adoption and maintenance of physical…

Most colleges and universities provide physical fitness classes plus courses teaching basic concepts of healthy living. Such courses empower students to learn physical fitness assessment, make wise lifetime physical fitness decisions, and design customized exercise programs. The paper examines types of cardiorespiratory fitness testing, explaining…

This study examined attitudes toward physical fitness of parents who home school their children, noting the relationship with children's physical activity levels. Questionnaires (11% returned) indicated parents felt positively about fitness, but children were not physically active. A low correlation existed between mothers' attitudes and…