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Physical Activity, Physical Education, Exercise and Public Health
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Physical Activity, Physical Education, Exercise and Public Health

A Special Issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601) belonging to the section "Exercise and Health-Related Quality of Life".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2026) | Viewed by 1866

Editors

Prof. Dr. Francisco Pradas de la Fuente

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Corporal Expression, University of Zaragoza, 22003 Huesca, Spain
Interests: physical activity; sports performance; racket sports; exercise physiology and training
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lazar Toskić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Priština-Kosovska Mitrovica, Dositeja Obradovića bb, 38218 Leposavić, Serbia
Interests: sports diagnostics; physical activity assessment; sports biomechanics; swimming
Dr. Alejandro Moreno-Azze

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Corporal Expression, Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: physical fitness; training interventions; physical activity; sports performance; team sports; exercise physiology and training
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Physical activity and exercise have been recognized as being essential for promoting, maintaining, and restoring physical and mental health. In recent years, research has increasingly focused on understanding the mechanisms whereby structured exercise programs can influence various health outcomes. This Special Issue aims to compile high-quality research that examines the effects of physical activity and physical education interventions not only in the general population, but also in sport and educational contexts. Special attention will be given to studies that analyze the impact of exercise on mental health parameters such as motivation, self-esteem, and psychological resilience, as well as on physical parameters such as performance optimization, injury prevention, and recovery or return-to-play processes, in addition to sports research in educational environments. The incorporation of advanced technologies such as wearable sensors, digital applications, and biomechanical analysis tools alongside traditional assessment methodologies is of particular interest to improve the accuracy and personalization of health assessments. Contributions may involve experimental designs, longitudinal studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and methodological innovations that deepen our understanding of the role of physical activity and physical education in public health. Multidisciplinary approaches that integrate sport science, physical education, epidemiology, psychology, physiology, and biomedical engineering are particularly welcome. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an up-to-date overview of the evidence supporting exercise as a key strategy for improving population health in a variety of sport and educational contexts.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Pradas de la Fuente
Dr. Lazar Toskić
Dr. Alejandro Moreno-Azze
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2500 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

  • physical activity
  • physical education
  • exercise interventions
  • public health
  • mental health
  • performance enhancement
  • injury prevention
  • wearable technology
  • health assessment
  • sports science
  • multidisciplinary approaches

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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24 pages, 1580 KB  
Article
Co-Creating Strategies and Recommendations to Enhance the Physical Activities of Undergraduate Students at a South African University: A Social Ecological Approach
by Chanté Johannes, Nicolette V. Roman, Sunday O. Onagbiye, Simone Titus and Lloyd Leach
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(12), 1803; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22121803 - 28 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1176
Abstract
Engagement in physical activity (PA) has been considered to be influenced by multiple psychosocial factors (such as mental health, motivation and social support). However, current interventions often neglect these complex interactions. The Social Ecological Model (SEM) highlights the need for context-specific strategies addressing [...] Read more.
Engagement in physical activity (PA) has been considered to be influenced by multiple psychosocial factors (such as mental health, motivation and social support). However, current interventions often neglect these complex interactions. The Social Ecological Model (SEM) highlights the need for context-specific strategies addressing individual, social, environmental, and public engagement domains to enhance student PA. Therefore, this study aimed to develop strategies and recommendations to enhance the PA levels of undergraduate university students by using a SEM Approach. A co-creative consensus workshop, held between July and August 2024, was employed. The stakeholder group (n = 25) comprised undergraduate university students, professors and academic doctors specialising in PA and health-related disciplines. Data generated from the workshop were uploaded into Atlas Ti. V8 and thematically analysed. The co-created strategies underscore the importance of a multi-level approach to enhancing PA participation among undergraduate students. A total of 32 strategies were developed, reflecting the interconnected influence of psychosocial factors across the levels of the SEM. These include strategies related to PA (9), mental health (7), motivation (9), and social support (7). By developing context-specific strategies and recommendations that address individual, social, physical, and public engagement levels, the research offers practical, student-centred solutions to enhance PA participation. The co-created strategies hold the potential to foster long-term behavioural change and promote active, healthier lifestyles within the South African university context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity, Physical Education, Exercise and Public Health)
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12 pages, 513 KB  
Brief Report
Acute Effects of Different Triceps Surae Stretching Modalities on Post-Sit-to-Stand Postural Control in Healthy Young Adults: An Exploratory Pre–Post Pilot Study
by Tsutomu Higaki and Kaoru Maeda
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(9), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23091176 - 8 Sep 2026
Abstract
Ankle postural control is essential for standing stability immediately after sit-to-stand (STS), a movement associated with falls in older adults. Although triceps surae stretching is commonly used before exercise, its immediate effects on post-STS postural sway remain unclear. This exploratory study investigated the [...] Read more.
Ankle postural control is essential for standing stability immediately after sit-to-stand (STS), a movement associated with falls in older adults. Although triceps surae stretching is commonly used before exercise, its immediate effects on post-STS postural sway remain unclear. This exploratory study investigated the effects of static (SS), dynamic (DS), and ballistic stretching (BS) on post-STS postural sway and directional shifts in the anteroposterior extremes of center-of-pressure (CoP) after STS in a repeated-measures design with 10 healthy young adults (8 males, 2 females, mean ± SD age: 20.1 ± 0.3 years, age range 20–21 years). On three separate days, participants performed STS at a same-day pre-stretching baseline and after one of the stretching modalities. A force plate measured CoP in the anteroposterior direction (CoPap) during 0–10, 0–3, and 3–10 s after standing, and the standard deviation of CoPap was calculated as an index of post-STS postural sway. For the primary outcome measure (0–3 s), directional shifts in the anteroposterior extremes of CoPap during the first trial were assessed based on the change in the anterior and posterior positions of CoPap from the pre-stretching baseline to the post-stretching condition. Two-factor repeated-measures ANOVA revealed no significant main effects or interactions across all time intervals (all p ≥ 0.187). For the primary outcome—the 0–3-s interval—no significant effects were observed for stretch modality (F(2, 18) = 1.177, p = 0.331, partial η2 = 0.116), trial (F(2, 18) = 0.314, p = 0.735, partial η2 = 0.034), or their interaction (Greenhouse–Geisser-corrected F(1.75, 15.72) = 1.170, p = 0.329, partial η2 = 0.115). Directional shifts in CoPap extremes showed 95% confidence intervals crossing zero across all modalities, with modest mean changes (<3%FL) and substantial inter-individual variability. In conclusion, acute triceps surae stretching did not significantly alter post-STS postural sway variability in this sample of healthy young adults, while preliminary descriptive findings highlight the importance of considering individual variability and directional CoP behavior in dynamic stability assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity, Physical Education, Exercise and Public Health)
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