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Leisure Time, Physical Activity, and Physical Fitness: Perspectives on Healthy...
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Leisure Time, Physical Activity, and Physical Fitness: Perspectives on Healthy Aging

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 3453

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francisco Saavedra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Assistant Professor, Research Centre for Sports Sciences, Health and Human Development Sport Sciences Department, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: sports sciences; physical activity; sport training
Prof. Dr. Anita Hökelmann

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute III, Department of Sport Science, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39104 Magdeburg, Germany
Interests: sport science; active healthy aging
Prof. Dr. Estélio Dantas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Postgraduate Program in Nursing and Biosciences, University Federal of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22290-250, Brazil
Interests: physical education; physiological and biochemical aspects of training

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The constant advances in science and the popularization of the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle are leading to an increase in life expectancy worldwide.

The consequences of this phenomenon on social security and retirement, as well as health systems, have become an ongoing concern for governments all around the globe.

Science has made it clear that preventive measures, primarily non-drug ones, are the economically viable answer for societies to progress and develop, despite the progressive aging of the population.

The set of physical exercise, regular and moderate; frugal and balanced diet; and emotional health, quality sleep, and stress control, in an environment free of pollution or contaminants (as shown by epigenetics) are the decisive factors for an antioxidant (preserving our telomeres), antimutational (avoiding cancer) and anti-inflammatory (pro-immunological) gene expression.

An adequately oriented and properly prescribed physical exercise program and enjoying leisure moments seem to be the answer to these yearnings for a long and healthy life.

This Special Issue is intended to present the view of science regarding these variables through the works of some of the most distinguished scientists.

Dr. Francisco Saavedra
Prof. Dr. Anita Hökelmann
Prof. Dr. Estélio Dantas
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

  • elderly
  • geriatric exercise
  • healthy aging
  • health and wellbeing
  • leisure time
  • older adults
  • physical activity
  • physical fitness
  • quality of life
  • recreational exercise

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 8956 KiB  
Article
Hemispheric Lateralization in Older Adults Who Habitually Play Darts: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
by Koki Toyofuku, Satoru Hiwa, Kensuke Tanioka, Tomoyuki Hiroyasu and Masaki Takeda
Healthcare 2024, 12(7), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12070734 - 27 Mar 2024
Viewed by 883
Abstract
Exercise training integrating physical and cognitive activities is gaining attention because of its potential benefits for brain health. This study focuses on exercise training using a dart game called Wellness Darts. Wellness Darts is a sport involving throwing darts and walking to pull [...] Read more.
Exercise training integrating physical and cognitive activities is gaining attention because of its potential benefits for brain health. This study focuses on exercise training using a dart game called Wellness Darts. Wellness Darts is a sport involving throwing darts and walking to pull them out of the board, memorizing the score, and subtracting this from the total score, thus requiring the simultaneous performance of two tasks: exercise and calculation. This is expected to maintain and improve cognitive function, and whether this continual darts training affects brain function is of great interest. Before conducting the longitudinal study revealing its effect on brain function, we aimed to cross-sectionally confirm the difference in hemispheric lateralization between expert and non-expert players. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure brain activity for three groups: an expert older group who practiced darts continually, a non-expert older control group, and a non-expert younger control group. Their brain activity patterns were quantified by the lateralization index (LI) and compared between groups. The results showed that the younger and the expert older groups had significantly higher LI values than the non-expert older group, and there was no difference between the expert older and the younger groups. Our results suggest that the Wellness Darts game possibly promotes hemispheric lateralization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leisure Time, Physical Activity, and Physical Fitness: Perspectives on Healthy Aging)
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14 pages, 308 KiB  
Article
Unlocking Happiness: Assessing the Monetary Value of Leisure Activities on Subjective Well-Being
by Yeongbae Choe and Jooa Baek
Healthcare 2023, 11(21), 2884; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11212884 - 2 Nov 2023
Viewed by 885
Abstract
Improving the level of subjective well-being or happiness is often the primary goal for the government and its policy. Thus, knowing the value of leisure activities in improving the subjective well-being would hugely contribute to the policy-making process. This study explores the impact [...] Read more.
Improving the level of subjective well-being or happiness is often the primary goal for the government and its policy. Thus, knowing the value of leisure activities in improving the subjective well-being would hugely contribute to the policy-making process. This study explores the impact of participation in leisure activities on individual subjective happiness by applying the well-being valuation method to the national survey data collected in South Korea. Among the five leisure activities, participation in culture and arts, participation in sports, and tourism activities emerged as significant determinants of subjective happiness at the significant level of 0.05. At the individual level, participation in culture and arts exhibited the highest monetary value, while tourism activities have the highest monetary value at the national level, factoring in the total population and the participation rate across the country. These findings confirm the effect of leisure participation in improving subjective well-being and its corresponding monetary value and suggest that government should be appropriately utilizing the leisure policy to increase the frequency and type of leisure participation, thereby enhancing the level of happiness across the society. Results have significant implications for policy makers, practitioners, and academics in the domains of leisure and tourism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leisure Time, Physical Activity, and Physical Fitness: Perspectives on Healthy Aging)
13 pages, 645 KiB  
Article
The Association between Physical Activity and Anxiety in Aging: A Comparative Analysis
by Estelio Henrique Martin Dantas, Olivia Andrade Figueira, Alan Andrade Figueira, Anita Höekelmann, Rodrigo Gomes de Souza Vale, Joana Andrade Figueira and Helena Andrade Figueira
Healthcare 2023, 11(15), 2164; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11152164 - 30 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1115
Abstract
(1) Background: As the worldwide aging population is growing, there is a need to embrace the role of physical activity in the anxiety of older people. Objectives: To analyze anxiety in older people practitioners and non-practitioners of physical activity; (2) Methods: ample composed [...] Read more.
(1) Background: As the worldwide aging population is growing, there is a need to embrace the role of physical activity in the anxiety of older people. Objectives: To analyze anxiety in older people practitioners and non-practitioners of physical activity; (2) Methods: ample composed of 690 older people of both genders, unselected volunteers, residing in Brazil, present (as participants or observers) in selected street races in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 30 October 2019, and 12 March 2020. An instrument composed of the sociodemographic questionnaire and questions from the Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI, and the Physical Activity Inventory for older people, Baecke-Old. Design: Ex-post-facto observational analytical descriptive research; (3) Results: The average age of the sample was in the range of 65 to 69y, 74% female, 94% completed high school, 69% living with the family, 84% practicing physical activity. Anxiety levels were 26% (without), 35% (mild), 21% (moderate), and 18% (severe). The comparison of anxiety showed a difference between the groups of active and sedentary elderly. Logistic regression analysis considering anxiety (yes or no; dichotomous variable) and physical activity (yes or no; dichotomous variable) and Odds Ratio were performed to identify possible influences of the independent variables PA, gender, marital status, and education on anxiety. Only physical activity was associated with anxiety. (4) Conclusions: The sample data of this research point to the conclusion that physical activity influences anxiety levels with 98% certainty, and it is suggested that it be enriched in the future with different studies with different designs. The older people practitioners of physical activity with a high level of education presented as 26% without, 35% mild, 21% moderate, and 18% severe anxiety. More active individuals are less likely to develop anxiety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leisure Time, Physical Activity, and Physical Fitness: Perspectives on Healthy Aging)
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