Modern technology in service of physical activity – how can we benefit from it?

Ass. Prof. dr Michal Bronikowski

Dr Ida Laudańska-Krzemińska

University School of Physical Educaiton

Poznan, Poland

Physical (in) activity as a cause of major health

problems

Physiological (d)effects: Cardio-respiratory fitness (coronary heart disease, cardiac failure) Metabolic system/syndrome functioning (fat free mass,

overweight, obesity) Osteoporosis (low bone mass, fractures, falls, back pains) Nervous system (co-ordination, stress coping)

But also socio-cultural (d)effects:

Quality of life (specially in elderly stages) Sense of coherence (meaningfulness, comprehensibility,

manageability) Social contacts General social acceptance and need for physical activity

Physical activity - findings

Early physical activity experience should provide

gross-motor activities that involve postural control, coordination of movements, and locomotion – crawling, creeping, body rolling, and jumping

moderate and vigorous intensity gross-motor activity provide the brain with its chief energy source, glucose.

These activities increase blood flow, which feeds the brain and enhances neuronal connectivity during the critical period.

To help develop the brain before it is too late

Studies on neglected children, who had been deprived of physical and mental stimulation, found that parts of their brain were underdeveloped and 20-30% smaller than most children their age.

Babies Are Smarter Than You Think, Life Magaizne

Susan Curtiss, Professor of Linguistics, UCLA)

But effects of PE/school sport are misserable

Obese pupils more often skip PE classes, often declare they dislike PE

[Fenczyn, Szmigiel 2006; Oblacińska, Jodkowska 2007]

Obese girls two times more frequently have (all sort of) leaves and excuses not to take part in PE than their able friends [Oblacińska, Tabak 2006]

Lower rate of frequency in extracurricular and out of school activities of obese and those with profound learning difficulties [Oblacińska, Tabak 2006]

Obesity in Polish children

Obesity is an international problem

Social consequences

Obesity in childhood is transferred into adulthood (Clarke, Lauer 1993; Guo et al 2002; Must, Strauss 1999; Power et al 1997;

Reilly et al. 2003; Serdula et al. 1993)

Higher morbidity and mortality rates – due to heart and metabolic diseases (Must et al. 1992)

Low self-esteem, negative self-perception, lower quality of life, limited social contacts

(Kochman i Czerwionka – Szafarska 2004, Radoszewska 1995)

Obese and overweight more often commit small crimes

(Berg i współ. 2005; Janssen i współ. 2004; Oblacińska, Jodkowska 2007)

Some data on using IT and on-line activities

- An avarage pupil in the US school spends 13 000 hours, 25 000 in front of TV. Pupil would see 8000 murders and 100 000 acts of violence in which 73% an offender gets away of the punishment, in 58% showed as if there were no negative consequences, or no pain of other poeple.

Spitzer M. (2012) Digital Demenz. Wie wir uns und unsere Kinder um den Verstand bringen, Droemer Verlag, Munich.

- People at the age of 50 not using the Internet at all – five days access to the Internet causes activation of the same neuron loops as in the brains of those using the Internet daily.

University of California research findings:

- Mirror neuron loops are activated when we do a motor movement ourself

and when we see others performing a motor movement

but they are not activated when movement acts are observed on a TV screen - these situations lack social interactions (magnetic resonans examination)

Rizzolatii G, Sinigaglia C. (2012) Emphatie und Spiegelneurone…Frankfurt am Main.

Glued to Your Cell Phone? Research Suggests It May Reduce Your Physical Activity and Fitness

More than 300 college students from the Midwest were surveyed on their cell phone usage and activity level.

The researchers’ results showed that high cell phone use was associated with low cardiorespiratory fitness.

Students who were the least fit were those who spent large amounts of time on their cell phones – as much as 14 hours per day.

The most fit students were those who used the cell phone the least – around 90 minutes per day.

.Barkley & A. Lepp, College of Education,

Health and Human Services, Kent State University (2013)

Brain activity measured during play

Computer-aided neuromuscular biomechanical analysis and diagnostics of complex movements

University of Vienna, Center for Sport ScienceProject leader: Dr. Heller  / Contact person: mario.heller@univie.ac.at

Technological methods and their practical use for supporting the individual physical fitness of adolescents in school and leisure time sport

 A mobile device gathers biomechanical and/or physiological parameter values on the spot and sends it to a server component for further analyses. The classification of the data and generation of (immediate) feedback is based on expert knowledge (sport scientists) and can be adapted sports specifically.

Project leader: Prof. Baca / Contact person: arnold.baca@univie.ac.atUniversity of Vienna, Center for Sport Science

Real dance or a dance mat

Dance - number of steps and calories

Modern device – accelometers. Can they be of any help in increasing

PA ?

Modern on-line PA program registrators

You know when, where, how

Absorbing new IT for educational purposes?

Advantages1.Technology as an atractive but just a

tool

2. New pedagogical environment

3. Pupils usually know more then teachers

4. Assassment on achieving the lesson objectives with the use of IT

5. Instant feedback from the screen and pupils can do it alone learning proper technique

6.

Dengers1.Technology as a goal

2. New safety hazards

3. Danger of been out-dated

4. Assassment reduced to how technology device was used

5. No social intaraction – potential problems with futher social relations in school or work

health-related vs. performance-related

- cardiovascular endurance - agility- flexibility - balance - muscular endurance - co-ordination- muscular strength - power- body composition - reaction

time/speed

J.Harris, J.Ebourn (1997) Teaching health-related exercise at Key Stages 1 and 2, Human Kinetics.

Physical education and orientation of

physical fitness components

Thank U very much