麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Department of Exercise Physiology presents research findings at national meeting
Researchers in 麻豆影院鈥檚 Department of Exercise Physiology are reporting positive results from the 12-week 麻豆影院 State Faculty/Staff Exercise Program that launched in July 2013. Their findings were presented at the American College of Sports Medicine鈥檚 annual meeting from May 27-June 1 in Orlando, Florida. Research into the exercise program that was designed specifically for faculty and staff at 麻豆影院 State looked at how participants changed physically and mentally over time.
The research was led by Ellen Glickman, Ph.D., professor and program coordinator of the Exercise Physiology program, and she was assisted by five graduate students in the department.
Participants in the program used MOVbands, which are activity monitors, to track their progress throughout the exercise program. MOVbands use convenient online software and allow users to log on, look at the group name to see individuals鈥 numbers and see on their own how personally active they are. The software allows users to see the activity of other participants who are assigned numbers so that they are not identifiable and can maintain anonymity.
鈥淲e use MOVbands in order to have participants take 10,000 steps per day,鈥 says Glickman. 鈥淛ust participation alone and engaging in activity, regardless of how active you were, significantly changed variables.鈥
At the beginning of the program, Glickman and her students measured the participants鈥 baseline body fat and mood states. Depression and stress were mild to moderately elevated. 麻豆影院 four weeks into the program, participants were measured again and their levels were in the normal range. John Gunstad, Ph.D., associate professor in 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Department of Psychology, also partnered with the researchers to help with this effort.
鈥淵ou usually need about six months to see these psychological changes; but we had immediate impact, and that鈥檚 a big factor,鈥 saysDuane Corbett, one of the graduate students who helped with the research.
Corbett did his dissertation on this research and presented it at the American College of Sports Medicine meeting in many different forms, such as abstracts and publications.
By the end of 10 weeks, the 107 participants had significantly reduced body weight and a reduction in anxiety and depression. They also slept better and felt better about themselves in general.
鈥淥utside of the research, one of the biggest things is the opportunity the program created,鈥 says Corbett. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just for faculty and staff to come exercise, but for the students as well to have hands-on experience here at the university instead of going somewhere else. Therefore, everyone involved benefits from it.鈥
Glickman agrees. 鈥淭he program is a scholarship of application and discovery,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he faculty and staff have loved coming to class, and the students have a symbiotic relationship with them. I believe in exercise and exercise is medicine.鈥
The Faculty/Staff Exercise Program is sponsored by the Division of Human Resources in collaboration with the School of Health Science.
Find more information about the Faculty/Staff Exercise Program.
For more information about the American College of Sports Medicine meeting and the research conducted by Glickman and her students, visit .