This study aimed to develop affective experience, attitude, and behavioral intention scales for exercise, and examine their associations with exercise behavior. A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted among 500 individuals aged 60 to 69 years at baseline. The survey measured respondents’ affective experiences, attitude, behavioral intention, exercise behavior, and demographic factors. The same survey was conducted 2 weeks (n = 345) and 1 year later (n = 338). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the factor structures of the affective experience (2 factors: 3 items each for positive experience and negative experience), attitude (2 factors: 3 items each for affective attitudes and instrumental attitudes), and behavioral intention scales (2 factors: 4 items each for intention to maintain behavior and intention to overcome barriers) were acceptable. For these scales, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.69 to 0.92, Pearson’s correlation coefficients for baseline and 2-week follow-up ranged from 0.51 to 0.81, and Cohen’s d values for the associations with exercise behavior ranged from 0.46 to 0.98. After adjusting for demographic factors and exercise behavior at baseline, structural equation modeling showed that an affective attitude toward exercise at baseline significantly predicted exercise behavior at 1-year follow-up (standardized coefficient = 0.27), and that the affective attitude was predominantly explained by the positive affective experience of exercise (standardized coefficient = 0.80). The results confirmed the validities and reliabilities of the scales. Positive affective experiences and affective attitudes may be important determinants of exercise behavior.

It is well known that eccentric exercise induces muscle damage that is characterized by a prolonged decrease in muscle strength and range of motion, development of delayed onset muscle soreness, and swelling. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the acute effects of hold-relax stretching (HRS) with those of static stretching (SS) on muscle strength and soreness. The participants comprised 28 male volunteers randomly assigned to either the HRS group (N = 14) or the SS group (N = 14). Initially, the participants of both groups performed 60 maximal eccentric contractions of the knee extensors. Two and four days after this exercise, each group performed either HRS or SS for 60 s at a time and repeated them six times for a total of 360 s. Muscle strength and soreness during stretching and contraction were measured before and immediately after HRS and SS. The results showed that the muscle soreness observed after eccentric contraction significantly decreased immediately after both HRS and SS were performed two and four days later. In addition, there were no significant changes in muscle strength immediately after both HRS and SS were performed two and four days later. The rate of change in muscle soreness after HRS was significantly higher than that after SS two days post eccentric contractions. These results suggest that while both HRS and SS can effectively decrease muscle soreness, the effect of HRS on muscle soreness was larger than the effect of SS.

Recently, a standing desk is being installed as a behavior change strategy to reduce sitting time in the workplace. However, the standing posture has been suggested to decrease forehead oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb), which might impair task performances. Therefore, we examined whether prolonged standing impairs speed and accuracy of computer subtraction task associated with a decrease in forehead oxy-Hb. Nine healthy young males completed 4 × 15-min computer tasks under two conditions, i.e., sitting and standing. In the computer tasks, all subjects were required to subtract a two-digit number from a four digit number written on the paper and to input the answer to the answer colomn on the computer. Task performances were evaluated as the number of achievements and accuracy rate every 15 minutes. Moreover, oxy-Hb and deoxygenated-hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb) in the site of left forehead area and lower limb were monitored throughout the experimental period by near-infrared spectroscopy. Forehead oxy-Hb was significantly associated with the number of achievements during computer tasks (p < 0.001). In addition, forehead oxy-Hb and task performances did not differ between sitting and standing. The number of achievements of subtraction task under standing condition was significantly decreased as time proceeds. Our results demonstrate that prolonged standing might impair computer subtraction task performances irrespective of the change in forehead oxy-Hb.

Kellmann and Kallus (2011) have developed a scale for evaluating recovery, which is named “The Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ-76 Sport).” This scale has contributed to the remarkable development of sport psychological studies on recovery and has been translated into various languages in different countries. Moreover, it has been used as an index for providing scientifically derived support for athletes participating in world championship events and Olympic games. The usefulness of this scale has been empirically supported. However, a Japanese version of RESTQ-76 Sport has not been developed to date. The Japanese version of RESTQ-Sport 76 was developed, and its reliability and validity were examined as a new index for monitoring in athletes. Participants were university and high school students (N=681, 424 men and 257 women, aged =15-23) participating in athletic clubs and doing sports daily. Cronbach’s α was calculated to examine the internal consistency. Moreover, principal factor analysis with varimax rotation was conducted to examine the reproducibility of the factor structure, and correlation analysis was conducted with the Japanese version of POMS-S for examining the concurrent validity of the scale. The results indicated that the Japanese version of RESTQ-76 Sport had adequate reliability and validity that was similar to the original version, which supported Kellmann and Kallus (2001). In the future, this scale is expected to be a new index for evaluating the balance between stress and recovery in athletes.

The decrease in physical activity in elementary school children is an important problem in Japan. Previous studies have shown that physical activity during the summer vacation is lower than during the school days, and a program for increase in physical activity during the summer vacation are required. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of physical education homework and exercise events during summer vacation in elementary school children. A total of 67 children in grade 4 were assigned to the two groups for each school: the control school (n = 39) or the intervention school (i.e., did physical education homework and participated in exercise events; n = 28). Physical education homework was constituted of four exercise programs per day. Additionally, exercise events were carried out four times during the summer vacation. Physical activity before and during the summer vacation were measured by accelerometer (Lifecorder EX). The decline in physical activity of the intervention school was less than the control school, and significant interactions were indicated by two-way repeated ANOVA (Step count: F _{(1, 65)} = 6.704; Light-intensity physical activity, LPA: F _{(1, 65)} = 4.365; Moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, MVPA: F _{(1, 65)} = 6.088, all P < 0.05, respectively). After adjusted for sex, percentage of overweight, participation of sport activity, and each physical activity, significant trends of interactions about the step count, LPA, and MVPA were shown (Step count: F _{(1, 61)} = 3.982, P = 0.050; LPA: F _{(1, 61)} = 3.243, P = 0.077; MVPA: F _{(1, 61)} = 2.916, P = 0.093). These results suggest that combined use of physical education homework and exercise events are effective to attenuate the decrease in physical activity during summer vacation in elementary school children.

As well as active smoking, passive smoking is associated with a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The antioxidant vitamin C may inhibit the unfavorable effects of passive smoking. In this study, we investigated the effects of vitamin C ingestion on changes in the flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) at the brachial artery in patients exposed to transient passive smoking. The study participants included seven healthy adult males who were examined by high-resolution ultrasonography of the brachial artery before and after 15-minute of passive smoking. FMD was used to examine the endothelial function. Randomized crossover controlled trial, measurements were performed on two different days 120-minute after the oral administration of 1000mg of ascorbic acid (VC trial) or a placebo (P trial). Although the FMD values decreased after passive smoking in both trials, the FMD values of the VC trial were higher than those of the P trial, with significant differences between the trials observed immediately and 30-minute after passive smoking. The results of this study suggested that the ingestion of vitamin C may suppress the decrease in the vascular endothelial function caused by transient passive smoking.