Clear criteria for maximal oxygen consumption (VO[subscript 2]max) determination in youth are not available, and no studies have examined this issue in girls. Our purpose was to determine whether different peak heart rate (HRpeak) and peak respiratory exchange ratio (RERpeak) cut points affect girls' (N = 453; M age = 13.3 years, SD = 0.1)…

The purpose of this study was to determine if a difference in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and delayed onset muscles soreness (DOMS) exists in two different phases of the menstrual cycle. Nine runners performed one 75-min high-intensity interval running session during the early follicular (EF) phase and once during the midluteal (ML) phase of the…

This paper documents how health is storied into existence by "obesity discourse" to become part of the "natural attitude" towards the health of individuals or populations. We draw attention to some of the major policy documentation influencing thinking on "health" and school health education in the UK over recent…

This study determined whether the cardiac autonomic function of adults with Down syndrome (DS) differs from that of nondisabled persons during submaximal dynamic exercise. Thirteen participants with DS and 12 nondisabled individuals performed maximal and submaximal treadmill tests with metabolic and heart rate (HR) measurements. Spectral analysis…

Having severe Asthma and trying to maintain a social life isn't easy, but when one adds the disability of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) to the combination, the challenges become even tougher. As a dancer with both Asthma and MCS, the author was forced to give up the sport for 15 years before finding a group of line dancers that were…

People have heard the expression "It's as easy as riding a bike." But the idea of a child with special needs balancing, steering, and pedaling a bike can seem out of reach for some; especially when he may be unable to walk unaided or hold his head up without support. Physical capabilities or stamina need not keep a child from this pleasurable…

Staying active during the summer is of vital importance to all children. For children with disabilities, it becomes even more important to participate in a summer program so that there is no loss of function when returning to school in the fall. The core muscles are the stomach, back, and pelvic muscles, which support posture. Research shows that…

Social media sites including Facebook are increasingly accessed and integrated in the counselling and psychotherapy profession. As there is a universal escalation of mental and emotional health needs in today's society especially among young adults, Facebook as a popular social networking site for Malaysian youths could be taken advantage as a…

Most peer influence research examines socialization between adolescents and their best friends. Yet, adolescents also are influenced by popular peers, perhaps due to misperceptions of social norms. This research examined the extent to which out-group and in-group adolescents misperceive the frequencies of peers' deviant, health risk, and…

Objective: A physical activity passport (PAP) was developed to increase student's physical activity through the collaboration of student life and academics. The purpose was to measure the effectiveness of the PAP. Design: The research design used was a quantitative, descriptive, quasi-experimental design with experimental and control groups.…

Research Findings: Two forms of exercise play (toy mediated and non-mediated) and 2 forms of rough-and-tumble (R&T) play (chase and fighting) were examined in relation to preschoolers' peer competence. A total of 148 preschoolers (78 boys, 89 Euro-Americans) were observed during free play at their university-sponsored child care center. The…

Background: Obesity prevention efforts typically involve changing eating and exercise behaviors as well as the physical and social environment in which those behaviors occur. Due to existing social networks, worksites are a logical choice for implementing such interventions. Purpose: This article describes the development and implementation of a…

The teaching of health literacy in school-based health education (SBHE) is of international interest, yet there is less ready access to how conceptions of health literacy can be operationalised in school programmes. More specifically, while articulated in curriculum documents such as the incoming Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical…

Girls 6 to 19 years old have the highest rates of obesity with about thirty percent being obese in the US (Ogden et al., 2006). Researchers studying the prevention of childhood obesity are examining exergames because playing video games is popular among youth (Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010). Recent research has mainly focused on energy…

Regular physical activity promotes important health benefits, reduces risk for obesity and is linked with enhanced academic performance among students. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that children engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, yet fewer than half of children ages 6 to 11 meet that…