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Healthcare
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Exercise Interventions and Testing for Effective Health Promotion
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Exercise Interventions and Testing for Effective Health Promotion

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 3462

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Vassilis Gerodimos

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece
Interests: exercise testing and prescription for health promotion; occupational wellness; muscular adaptation to exercise; physical conditioning and evaluation in sports; vibration training; isokinetic and isometric evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Konstantina Karatrantou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece
Interests: occupational wellness; healthy lifestyle; exercise testing and prescriptions for health promotion; combined exercise programs; vibration exercise
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The design, implementation and guidance regarding safe and effective physical activity–exercise intervention programs have become an important public health priority for the prevention and rehabilitation of different chronic diseases (both physical and mental). A key factor that plays one of the most central roles in the successful design, implementation, and sustainability of a physical activity–exercise intervention program is the evaluation stage (assessment of the existing situations, needs, and problems of the population). Without testing and evaluation, an exercise intervention program is less likely to succeed.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the importance of health screening–testing, as well as the efficiency of different physical activity and exercise intervention programs in the promotion of physical and mental health and, consequently, the prevention and rehabilitation of different chronic diseases.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to our Special Issue by presenting your work on healthy populations or on individuals of different ages (children, adolescents, adults and elderly individuals) with chronic diseases, including original articles, case studies, reviews (scoping, narrative, systematic, etc.) or meta-analyses.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to our Special Issue entitled: “Exercise Interventions and Testing for Effective Health Promotion”.

Prof. Dr. Vassilis Gerodimos
Dr. Konstantina Karatrantou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • testing and prescription
  • prevention
  • rehabilitation
  • physical activity
  • exercise
  • health
  • quality of life
  • occupational wellness
  • ageing

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 944 KiB  
Article
The Safety, Feasibility, and Efficacy of a Structured Individual Exercise Program for Community-Dwelling Stroke Patients
by Jung-Lim Lee, Sung-Hwa Ko, Sungchul Huh, Jong-Chul Jung, Soo-Yong Kim, Dong-Yun Bae, Yong-Il Shin and Yuna Kim
Healthcare 2024, 12(22), 2281; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12222281 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 505
Abstract
Introduction: Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and long-term disability worldwide, often resulting in low levels of physical activity post-discharge. A comprehensive exercise program could be a safe method to increase stroke patients’ physical activity and exercise volume. This pilot study examines [...] Read more.
Introduction: Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and long-term disability worldwide, often resulting in low levels of physical activity post-discharge. A comprehensive exercise program could be a safe method to increase stroke patients’ physical activity and exercise volume. This pilot study examines the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of a comprehensive exercise regimen for stroke patients residing in the community after discharge. Methods: This single-group pilot study included patients who received inpatient rehabilitation for motor impairment following a stroke. Community-dwelling participants engaged in a comprehensive exercise program, which was structured and individualized, consisting of stretching, aerobic exercise, strength training, and balance exercises, conducted under the supervision of a health exercise specialist in a dedicated living lab within the hospital. The program involved 20 sessions, each lasting 50 min, conducted three to five times weekly. The pre- and post-intervention evaluations were comprehensive, including safety and validity assessments, along with physical function tests such as cardiopulmonary exercise testing and various fitness tests (6 min walk test, timed up and go test, chair stand test, figure-of-8 walk test, grip strength test, and sit-and-reach test). Depression levels were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Results: A total of 22 subjects were recruited, with 21 completing the study after one dropout due to fatigue and visiting distance. Among the 21 completers, one subject experienced a mild adverse event (hypoglycemia), which was not serious, confirming the program’s safety. The exercise participation rate was 95.5%, and the adherence rate averaged 95.2%, with all completers achieving over 80% adherence. Significant improvements were observed in VO2 peak (p = 0.000), 6 min walk test (p = 0.000), timed up and go test (p = 0.000), chair stand test (p = 0.000), figure-of-8 walk test (p = 0.000), and grip strength (p = 0.001). However, changes in the peak respiratory exchange ratio (p = 0.078), sit-and-reach test (p = 0.228) and GDS scores (p = 0.275) were not significant. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the comprehensive exercise program is sufficiently safe and valid for stroke rehabilitation patients. The program significantly enhances cardiopulmonary endurance, walking ability, balance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, and coordination. Further research with larger sample sizes and control groups is needed to confirm these findings and explore additional benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercise Interventions and Testing for Effective Health Promotion)
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18 pages, 1661 KiB  
Article
Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Lymfit: A Theory-Guided Exercise Intervention for Young Adults with Lymphoma
by Wing Lam Tock, Nathalie A. Johnson, Ross E. Andersen, Matthew Salaciak, Christopher Angelillo, Carmen G. Loiselle, Maude Hébert and Christine Maheu
Healthcare 2024, 12(11), 1101; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12111101 - 28 May 2024
Viewed by 1353
Abstract
Despite the rapidly emerging evidence on the contributions of physical activity to improving cancer-related health outcomes, adherence to physical activity among young adults with lymphoma remains suboptimal. Guided by self-determination theory (SDT), the Lymfit intervention (a 12-week individualized exercise program with bi-weekly kinesiologist [...] Read more.
Despite the rapidly emerging evidence on the contributions of physical activity to improving cancer-related health outcomes, adherence to physical activity among young adults with lymphoma remains suboptimal. Guided by self-determination theory (SDT), the Lymfit intervention (a 12-week individualized exercise program with bi-weekly kinesiologist support and an activity tracker) aimed to foster autonomous motivation toward physical activity. This pilot randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of Lymfit. Young adults (N = 26; mean age of 32.1 years) with lymphoma who were newly diagnosed and those up to six months after completing treatment were recruited and randomly assigned one-to-one to either the intervention group (n = 13) or a wait-list control group (n = 13). All a priori feasibility benchmarks were met, confirming the feasibility of the study in terms of recruitment uptake, retention, questionnaire completion, intervention fidelity, missing data, Fitbit wear adherence, and control group design. The intervention acceptability assessment showed high ratings, with eight out of ten items receiving >80% high ratings. At post-intervention, an analysis of covariance models showed a clinically significant increase in self-reported physical activity levels, psychological need satisfaction, and exercise motivation in the intervention group compared to controls. Lymfit also led to meaningful changes in six quality-of-life domains in the intervention group, including anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, social roles and activities, and pain interference. The findings support Lymfit as a promising means to meet psychological needs and increase the autonomous motivation for physical activity in this group. A fully powered efficacy trial is warranted to assess the validity of these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercise Interventions and Testing for Effective Health Promotion)
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13 pages, 370 KiB  
Article
Emotional Intelligence in Hemodialysis Patients: The Impact of an Intradialytic Exercise Training Program
by Stefania S. Grigoriou, Christina Karatzaferi, Christoforos D. Giannaki and Giorgos K. Sakkas
Healthcare 2024, 12(9), 872; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12090872 - 23 Apr 2024
Viewed by 999
Abstract
The current study aimed to investigate whether there is a relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), functional capacity, fatigue, cognitive function, and quality of life (QoL) in HD patients and to assess the effect of a 9-month intradialytic exercise training program on EI levels. [...] Read more.
The current study aimed to investigate whether there is a relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), functional capacity, fatigue, cognitive function, and quality of life (QoL) in HD patients and to assess the effect of a 9-month intradialytic exercise training program on EI levels. Seventy-eight dialysis patients (50 M/28 F, 60.6 ± 17.2 years) participated in the cross-sectional study. Afterward, a subgroup of 18 patients (15 M/3 F, 56.7 ± 12.3 years) completed a 9-month supervised intradialytic exercise training program (three times weekly). EI was assessed by the Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS). Functional capacity was assessed by a battery of tests. Sleep quality, depression levels, and daily sleepiness were assessed via validated questionnaires. All assessments were carried out before and after the intervention. A significant positive correlation was found between the WLEIS scores and the physical component summary of the QoL questionnaire. In contrast, the WLEIS scores were negatively associated with general and physical fatigue. The SSEIT scores were positively associated with cognitive function. After nine months of exercise training, only the group with low WLEIS scores improved their EI score significantly compared to the baseline values (98.7 ± 7.0 vs. 73.0 ± 4.0, p = 0.020), while no changes were observed in the medium or high EI groups. In conclusion, patients with higher levels of EI showed increased quality of life and lower levels of fatigue. Patients with low levels of EI are more likely to benefit from an exercise training program compared to their medium- and high-level counterparts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercise Interventions and Testing for Effective Health Promotion)
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