Academic self-reliant health-improvement physical trainings

ˑ: 

PhD, Associate Professor V.N. Kovalenko1
PhD, Associate Professor I.S. Moskalenko1
PhD, Associate Professor V.P. Demesh1
1
St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, St. Petersburg

Keywords: health-improvement physical trainings, self-reliant training, water procedures, massage, body tempering, training tools.

Background. Health related issues have always been given a top priority for the whole human history. Nowadays health standards are interpreted in many ways albeit many of the definitions and interpretations are synonymic in fact [2, 4, 6, 7]. Many researchers emphasize the fact that the individuals holding to healthy lifestyles are more tolerant to different mental and emotional stressors and challenges [1, 3]. Focused analyses of the job-specific stressors in the career of civil engineers were used to design and test special physical training systems to improve their health standards, mobilize and expand individual adaptabilities, build up due knowledge and skills to facilitate self-training and make it habitual [4, 6, 7].

Objective of the study was to develop and test a self-reliant health-improvement physical training model for civil engineering students.

Methods and structure of the study. Theoretical studies and a model testing experiment were run at Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. The study was geared to provide sound research grounds for the new self-reliant health-improvement physical training model to develop and maintain the job-specific physical fitness, mental qualities and working capacities in the civil engineering students and build up their motivations for habitual physical progress.

The self-reliant health-improvement physical training model was basically designed to attain the following goals: engage the students in health-improvement physical trainings; and form due competences and skills for habitual self-reliant physical trainings. Sampled for the educational experiment were the first-year students (n=120) of the above university, with the sample physical and mental progress tested in the Experimental Group (EG) versus Reference Group (RG) of 60 people each.

Study findings and discussion. The model testing experiment was designed to find out, among other things, how the working capacity and functionality of the sample may be improved by the stimulating cold water procedures, with the physical and mental fitness tests run at the end and 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after the practices and procedures.

The EG versus RG physical and mental fitness test indices showed the significant average growth of the EG wellbeing, activity and mood indices by 18.5% (р<0.05) at the end of the procedures and by 6.2% by the 90th minute: see Table 1. The Ruffier index was found to improve in tests 2, 3 and 4 by 6.1%. The sensorimotor response tests showed erroneous responses to significantly drop, with the error rate in the final test was found to be 50% lower than prior to the experiment. Insignificant change was found, however, in the latent response rate. The data processing capacity (rated by the text correction tests) was tested to improve by 39% after the experiment, with the error rate tested to most significantly fall in the first 60 minutes. In test 4 the EG error rate was 56.7% lower than prior to the experiment (р<0.05) albeit later on the error rate was found to grow and even reach the pre-experimental level. The body functionality tests showed a great progress in the activity, mood and working capacity indices.

Table 1. The EG (n=60) functionality and working capacity test indices (х+m) after a cold shower

Tests

Pre-test rate

Post-test rate

30 min

60 min

90 min

120 min

Wellbeing, activity, mood, in points

157,7+

11,7

186

10,2

182,1

11,1

174,312,1

169,3

12,3

154,3

12,1

Ruffier index, conv. units

4,26

0,24

4,13

0,29

4,1

0,24

4,0

0,19

4,3

0,19

4,06

0,2

Sensorimotor response rate, errors

2,6

1,1

2,6

0,2

2,4

1,3

2,3

1,2

2,2

1,4

1,3

1,1

Latent sensorimotor response rate, ms

659,6

84,3

658,1

95,7

661,483,2

664,3

84,3

663,8

84,2

666,791,2

Characters in correction test, count

30,6

3,4

35,6

3,3

36,1

3б2

36,7

3,1

38,9

3,3

42,3

3,2

Errors in correction test, count

3,0

0,2

2,6

0,2

2,2

0,1

1,3

0,1

2,4

0,3

3,3

1,4

The EG was tested with higher physical progress versus the RG as verified by the following test indices: vital capacity was tested to grow in the EG from 460889cm3 to 494081.19cm3 (р<0.01) versus the RG growth from 446986cm3 to 4492.3171.32cm3 (р<0.01); wrist strength was tested to grow in the EG from 39.761.64kg to 46.601.68kg (р<0.03) versus the RG growth from 36.121,34kg to 40.000.87kg (р<0.02); and trunk muscles strength was tested to grow in the EG from 158.64.42kg to 169.5 + 6.35kg (р<0.02) versus the RG growth from 153.54+4.19kg to 156.54+3.41kg (р<0.02): see Table 2. In the step test the EG made progress by 7.34 points versus the RG progress of 3.22 points.

Table 2. The pre- versus post-experimental test idices of the EG versus RG (х+m).

Tests

Group

Pre-experimental

Post-experimental

Physicality tests

Vital capacity, cm3

EG

RG

460889

446986

494081,19

4492,3171,32

Wrist strength, kg

EG

RG

39,761,64

36,121,34

46,61,68

400,87

Trunk muscles strength, kg

EG

RG

158,64,42

153,544,19

169,66,35

156,543,41

Functionality tests

Step test, points

EG

RG

91,352,09

92,022,52

98,692,25

95,241,38

Stange probe, s

EG

RG

73,14,2

73,84,4

76,24,5

72,15,2

Physical fitness tests

Strength-rating pull-ups on horizontal bar test, count

EG

RG

14,280,63

14,650,53

15,20,5

14,380,59

Speed-rating 100m sprint test, s

EG

RG

14,220,36

14,210,38

14,10,22

14,330,31

Endurance-rating 3000m race test, time

EG

RG

12,3412,06

12,2310,78

12,120,4

12,5811,61

Mental fitness tests using a 9-point scale

Overall memorizing ability, points

EG

RG

5,20,3

4,80,2

6,90,9

5,50,3

Thinking process consistency, points

EG

RG

6,90,5

7,00,3

8,00,5

7,40,4

Attention control ability, points

EG

RG

4,60,4

5,20,3

6,70,8

5,70,4

Short-term memory, points

EG

RG

7,10,4

6,30,3

8,20,4

7,00,4

Conclusion. The self-reliant health-improvement physical training model testing experiment showed its benefits as verified by the EG progress in the physicality and functionality tests, health standards, body adaptability, and the knowledge and competence in the self-reliant physical training system desing and management domains.

References

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Corresponding author: bjhlfy70@mail.ru

Abstract

It is common knowledge that the university students’ health standards tend to sag today due to a variety of negative social and demographic factors including the increasingly common physical inactivity. A high priority in the efforts to reverse the negative trends is given to the health-improvement physical trainings geared to at least maintain good physical fitness and cultivate healthy lifestyles, with a special emphasis on the self-reliant health management models customizable to the individual needs, daily regimen and actual predispositions for physical activity. The study analyzes the frame concepts of the academic self-reliant health-improvement physical trainings and offers an academic self-reliant health-improvement physical training model with cold shower, massage, and body tempering practices compliant with the modern hygienic standards.