Stress tolerance training academic aerobics model

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PhD, Associate Professor E.G. Zuikova1
PhD, Associate Professor T.V. Bushma1
PhD, Associate Professor O.N. Ustinova1
1St. Petersburg Polytechnic University named after Peter the Great, St. Petersburg

Keywords: stress tolerance, stress coping, unaided practices, aerobics, student, physical education and sports.

Background. Academic studies are known to expose students to multiple stressors [4, 5], and many analysts recommend physical activity as the most accessible and effective stress coping and health securing method [1, 6, 8, 7]. 1Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University named after Peter the Great gives a special priority in this context to university aerobics among other elective sports offered by the academic physical education and sports service, and this course has been in high demand in the student communities for many reasons including its stress coping benefits.

Objective of the study was to develop and test benefits of a new unaided stress tolerance training aerobics model for university students.

Methods and structure of the study. The new aerobics model was designed customizable to the motivations, needs and personality qualities of students, with background music in the classes helping improve mood and mitigate stress and anxiety. The training methods and tools are combined so as to secure fast adaptation to new exercises, changes in the movement rhythms and paces with musical accompaniment and gradually develop the situation-specific responses with practical stress coping skills and qualities [1-3].

We sampled for the study 2-year 1Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University student trainees of the academic aerobics course  (n=372) and surveyed them by the Y.V. Shcherbatykh questionnaire survey method to rank the key stressors, offer the stress coping methods and rate the individual stress tolerance: see Figure 1 hereunder. Note that the individual exposures to stressors were deemed determined by the stress tolerance rates.

Results and discussion. Only 7% of the sample was tested with high stress tolerance; with 70% found adapted to the studies within the norm (35-85 points); and 23% were tested with high sensitivity to stressors and high anxiety rates.

 

Figure 1. Stressors ranked by the students

The survey data were used to analyze the students’ stress coping behaviors. They were found dominated by tasty food (44%) as a destructive option; and sleep and changed activity (41%) plus communication with friends (35%) as constructive options. Only 4% of the sample reported physical practices as theirfavorite mental/ emotional stress coping tools. Special attention should be paid to 73% of the sample who reported the academic physical education and sport service being the only way for them to step up their physical activity and stress tolerance.

Stress tolerance may be trained in unaided aerobics practices with an emphasis on the mental controls and adaptive mechanisms. The stress tolerance training effects in the unaided aerobics complementary to the academic aerobics course is secured by the following psychological and educational provisions: comfortable training environment; conflict-free teamwork in the trainings; sport-specific competence-building elements; trainees’ mental and emotional health monitoring and tests; training techniques customizable to the individual stress tolerance rates of the trainees; and individualized unaided aerobics sensitive to every student’s needs [3].

At the unaided aerobics specialization stage, we designed the customized unaided aerobics with the stepped execution schedules, with each trainee’s independence degree in trainings determined by the actual practical skills and the individual stress tolerance rate. Here is an example of an individual non-stop aerobic warm-up sequence, with every element of the technological chain assisted by the teacher: (1) Select and justify exercises with repetitions to form a sequence with specific requirements to the execution techniques. (2) Run every exercise at slow pace with emphasis at the start and end and fixed postures, with a special attention to the limb and body positions. (3) Combine the exercises to form a sequence/ chain with controlled timed transitions. (4) Keep synch with the musical illustration, particularly with the emphases in the musical phrases. (5) Run the warm-up with music in parts and in full.

The above algorithm may be customized in a wide range using the multiple aerobics tools and techniques. The recommended training model is designed to give more and more freedom to the trainees with progress so as to ensure controlled progress in the individual stress tolerance rates by the following elements:

• Practice with a mirror the individual sequence with the timing controlled (counted) by a teammate or teacher, in synch with the musical accompaniment;

• Execute the sequence in an unaided format part by part and in full on your own, in couple, or in a small group;

• Discuss your progress and errors with a teammate or teacher.

The above unaided aerobics algorithm helps develop good tolerance to the academic stressors. The new training model was adapted to the academic elective aerobics discipline to complement the standard curriculum. Tutorial monitoring of the staged execution of the individual unaided aerobics modules showed 92% of the sample being highly motivated for the trainings.

The new academic aerobics model was found to secure gradual progress of trainees in the unaided aerobics and stress tolerance rates [3]. The progress of the sample on the stress tolerance scale was rated in point by the post-experimental expert valuations of improvised aerobics routines without a preliminary preparation. At the end of the academic year, 97% of the sample reported being unstressed by the tests, and 78% were tested excellent.

Conclusion

  • The new stress tolerance training aerobics unaided aerobics model designed to secure staged progress in the stress tolerance was tested beneficial for the academic stress coping purposes.
  • We used a questionnaire survey and tutorial monitoring method to rank the academic stressors and design the individualized stress tolerance training aerobics models for the 2-year students.
  • The new stress tolerance training aerobics unaided aerobics model piloted as complementary to the standard elective academic aerobics course was found to help mitigate the academic stresses and improve the individual stress tolerance as verified by survey of the sample and successful post-experimental improvised creative aerobics tests.

References

  1. Bolotin A.E. , Piskun O.E., Pogodin S.N. Special features of sports management for university students with regard to their value-motivational orientation. Teoriya i praktika fiz. Kultury, 2017. No. 3. pp. 51-53.
  2. Bolotin A.E., Shchegolev V.A., Bakaev V.V. Educational technology of application of physical training tools to adjust students to professional work. Teoriya i praktika fiz. Kultury. 2014. No. 7. pp.16-20.
  3. Bushma T.V., Volkova L.M., Zuikova E.G. Organization and Content of Independent Work of Students Specializing in Aerobics. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2015. No. 2. pp. 24-26.
  4.  Piskun O.E., Petrova N.N., Frolov B.S., Bondarchuk I.L. Technique for objective assessment of current mental state and personality traits to determine adaptation level of foreign students. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2016. no. 6. pp. 15¬-17.
  5. Piskun O.E., Ababkova M.Y., Leontyeva V.L. Biological feedback method to facilitate academic progress. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2018. no.10. pp. 45¬47.
  6. Filippov S.S., Piskun O.E. Organizational ¬Legal Support of Activity of Sports Clubs of Educational Establishments. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2014. no.7. pp. 52¬55.
  7. Shilko V.G., Shilko T.A., Potovskaya E.S. et al. Effects of physical training and sports on university students' stress tolerance rates. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2016, no. 12, pp. 41-43.
  8. Shchegolev V.A., Sushchenko V.P., Piskun O.E. Students' attitude toward Russian physical culture and sports GTO complex (Ready for Labour and Defence). Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2017. no.3. pp. 57-59.

Corresponding author: piskun@imop.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to develop and test benefits of a new unaided stress tolerance training aerobics model for university students.
Methods and structure of the study. The study involved -year 1Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University student trainees of the academic aerobics course  (n=372) and surveyed them by the Y.V. Shcherbatykh questionnaire survey method to rank the key stressors, offer the stress coping methods and rate the individual stress tolerance: see Figure 1 hereunder. Note that the individual exposures to stressors were deemed determined by the stress tolerance rates.

Study results and conclusions. The sociological survey showed that 99% of respondents experience academic process related stress. We were able to determine the stress factors, rank the data of educational monitoring of stress tolerance in the students, study the ways to reduce academic process related stress.

The new stress tolerance training aerobics unaided aerobics model designed to secure staged progress in the stress tolerance was tested beneficial for the academic stress coping purposes.

We used a questionnaire survey and tutorial monitoring method to rank the academic stressors and design the individualized stress tolerance training aerobics models for the 2-year students.

The new stress tolerance training aerobics unaided aerobics model piloted as complementary to the standard elective academic aerobics course was found to help mitigate the academic stresses and improve the individual stress tolerance as verified by survey of the sample and successful post-experimental improvised creative aerobics tests.