BASES Exercise in Aerobic Fitness and Males' Body Composition - Research Proposal Example

BASES…1 Submitted by AEROBICS FITNESS AND BODY COMPOSITION EFFECTS OF THE BASES EXERCISES IN INACTIVE INDIAN MALES A RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY: RONALD RETNARAJ BASES…2 Aerobics is the modern way to keeping the body fit and healthy.“ In today’s globalized setting, with most of the occupations of people having a sedentary backdrop, it becomes all the more difficult for them to keep fit and healthy. Moreover, the high paying jobs contribute to more luxurious lifestyles and therefore increase the risk factors for people who live sedentary lifestyles. So, how do we get around to treating or finding solutions to minimize this risk? Exercise in any form is the answer and is also an easy way to a healthy lifestyle, and it is here that aerobics plays a very important part. The key to sound health is to increase the metabolism of the body and the heart rate which in turn vitalizes the body and keeps it fit and healthy. In this research paper we would be examining those risk factors associated with sedentary lifestyles and also try to come up with solutions to lower the risk factors and help such individuals to lead much healthier lives by engaging them in an Aerobics program called ‘BASES’ (British Association of Sports and Exercise Science) BASES…3 INTRODUCTION Aerobics is the modern way to keeping the body fit and healthy.“ In today’s globalized setting, with most of the occupations of people having a sedentary backdrop, it becomes all the more difficult for them to keep fit and healthy. In these modern times people have become more health conscious than in days gone by. They fully well understand, the benefits of exercise and the impact it creates on the body. Aerobics is one of the best choices one can make, if one is keen on maintaining a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle. Exercise helps blood to flow freely through our veins and blood vessels and supplies our muscles with the much needed oxygen to carry on activity for a longer time. It also decreases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) Gaziano JM, Manson JE, Ridker PM, 2007) strokes, certain cancers, reduces obesity, increases our strength and endurance and gives us a general sense of well being. The exercise could be in the form of dance, cycling, jogging, and swimming etc. Exercise are of two types, aerobic and anaerobic meaning with and without oxygen respectively. (Millar Lynn A., pg. 50) Many health problems have their cause rooted to inadequacy of oxygen in our metabolic activities. Clinical Exercise Physiology (CEP) has become a mainstream discipline that focuses on regular exercise altering the functional capacity of individuals through rehabilitation. www.asep.org/journals/JEPonline BASES…4 An Analysis Sedentary lifestyles always pose a higher risk factor where health is concerned, because this kind of lifestyle leads to complications involving cardiovascular diseases, stroke hypertension and blood pressure. Activity of any kind such as manual work on any kind of sport helps to keep the body fit and free from the diseases mentioned above. ‘Annually, 700 000 people in the United States suffer a stroke, or 1 individual in a 45 second period, and nearly a third of these strokes keep recurring.’ (American Heart Association, 2003) Aerobics is one form of exercise that generates an ample level of oxygen into the body which in turn is a cure for many ailments including stroke. ‘Although the death rate for stroke, fell to a percentage of 12 from 1990 to 2000, the actual number of deaths due to stroke increased by about 9.9%. This depicts a leveling off of prior declines.’ (Brown et al., 1996) Overview of the study The chief objective of this research proposal is to make a study on the use of the BASES recommendations program to examine the importance of exercise in our lives and how this impacts our health. This proposal also intends to make an investigation of the risks that are involved for people who lead a sedentary life without any exercise. This research would also include the ‘Effects of the Bases’ (British Association of Sports and Exercise Science) and their recommendations involving Body fitness and its composition in relation to Indian males who lead sedentary lives. BASES…5 Rationale of the study Aerobics is responsible for lifestyle modifications ever since it has been included as a regular exercise regimen. It has been highly recommended especially for people who lead sedentary lifestyles because it improves an individual’s blood pressure, which is the chief target of a wide range of clinical studies. In fact, high blood pressure and low blood pressure, stroke, dementia and breast and colon cancer are some of the most common diseases for people leading sedentary lives. Though reduction of blood pressure does not depend on the intensity of exercise or the frequency with which it is carried out, yet there is an indication in different studies that any kind of exercise helps to reduce blood pressure to a great extent even though there are minimal changes in an individual’s body weight. This research is going to gauge how important Aerobics exercise is and its contribution towards reducing the risks of blood pressure and hypertension, especially in sedentary males. The aims and objectives of the study were 1. To study the effects of the BASES exercise on sedentary Indian males. 2. To examine the areas such as breathing techniques, storage of air, the importance of oxygen in our body and its advantages. 3. To understand the importance of exercise such as aerobics in our lives and include it in our health regimen. BASES…6 LITERATURE REVIEW There are several research studies that prove the importance of exercise such as aerobics and walking and the effects the BASES exercises have in Indian males leading a sedentary lifestyle. (Gillum & Sempos, 1997) studied the incidence of stroke and felt that it is likely to continue to escalate because of an expanding population of elderly Americans and in their opinion there is a growing epidemic of diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity among the general population; and a much higher prevalence of heart failure patients.’ The BASES exercise not only tends to reduce the BMI of the body, but also improves the delivery of oxygen throughout the body, thereby making sedentary males more active and healthy thus bringing down the incidence of Cardiovascular diseases by making the blood vessels more compliant and reducing blood pressure. In addition to this, there is free movement of joints and muscles, an increased sense of well being and there is also a good improvement in the overall strength and endurance and increases our metabolism to a great extent. ((Millar Lynn A., pg. 50) states that ‘Cardiovascular exercises are those that make the heart and lungs work harder than normal, and the amount of overload must be enough over resting level, to challenge the system, but not so much over that the body cannot adjust. Aerobics helps to break down the glycogen in the body that releases energy and boosts our stamina. This basic process has many advantages from a medical perspective. It generates positive effects on insulin resistance which is a BASES…7 condition where the body does not make use of insulin properly. Studies show that Water aerobics has become quite popular these days because it has many more cardiovascular benefits. In water aerobics, the weight of the body is managed by the water due to the buoyancy property, the strain on muscles and joints is greatly minimized. So people reap the maximum benefits without incurring damage to joints that are sensitive. (Jeff Anderson, n.d.) It also helps in weight loss of obese people in an easier manner rather that cutting down on the calorie intake. Arthritis and osteoporosis patients find immense comfort in aqua aerobics. (National Institute of Health, 2006) Aerobics typically works on producing more oxygen in the body and helps generate stamina. It is the most easiest and natural way to build a healthy body while one stays away from artificial add-ons to vitalize the body. Many research studies have been proved by experts to show that the mental state of an individual’s mind especially during depression can be lifted by doing aerobics. In their book titled ‘Biomechanical Evaluation of Movement in Sport and Exercise’ (Payton J. Carl & Bartlett, M. Roger, 2008) explains about the benefits of using biomechanics in obtaining appropriate and reliable data based on the movement of sedentary males. This book gives us the current news on the latest range of biomechanics movement analysis machines and other equipment (The BASES Guide, 2008) which are highly reliable and appropriate for the gauging of BASES…8 movement in sedentary Indian males and how it impacts on their physical as well as psychological well-being. This research would be using BASES (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) gauge the all round health of sedentary Indian males. BASES is the application of scientific principles used in promoting, maintaining and enhancing the health and well being of sedentary Indian males by taking into consideration the overall health and other exercise related behavior. The key mission of the ‘BASES’ is to promote ‘excellence in sports and other related exercise sciences.’ ‘BASES’ makes use of only evidence based research and is dedicated to the promotion of sport excellence. This research would make use of BASES for sedentary Indian males to enhance their physical and psychological health which would help them to enjoy a healthier quality of life. HYPOTHESIS The hypothesis of this study would be based on the effects of the BASES exercise recommendations related to Aerobic fitness and Body Composition involving Inactive Indian Males. It is hypothesized that oxygen plays a major role in the burning of fats, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The outcome of the hypothesis would show the impact of the BASES exercise on the health and lifestyle of sedentary males. BASES…9 MATERIALS AND METHODS This comparative and qualitative study would comprise of two groups of Indian sedentary males in the age group of 20 – 50 years. a) Exercise group (Active) & b) The Non- exercise (Inactive group). Group A would be made to exercise and their blood pressure evaluated. On the other hand, this is not so with Group B. Since this group does not exercise, their muscles do not absorb enough of oxygen to burn fats and hence they become quite inactive and lead sedentary lives. If a sedentary lifestyle is not checked in time, they would go into the high risk category of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, obesity and many others. The hypothesis of this group would be taken and the high risk factors would be explained. The method we would be using for this research is BASES (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) This method is all about applying scientific principles in order to promote, maintain and enhance not only health in sports but also other behavior that is exercise related. This method is a tried and tested one based on evidence based practice. We would be applying the BASES method to a group of Indian males who lead a sedentary life. This is a professional body comprising of a good team of scientists who carry out research in sport and exercise related treatment. BASES…10 Exclusion criteria Males who keep active through exercise of some kind would not be included. Females both active and non-active would also be excluded. Methods The BASES method uses different approaches to reach reliable results about the effect this method has on sedentary Indian males. It makes use of Biomechanics which will examine how the person’s body interacts and responds to the apparatus used, by applying various mechanical principles. The research would also be examining the physiological aspect in trying to gauge how the person’s body responds to the different exercises given through the BASES program. Biochemical parameters such as blood- pressure levels, resistance and tolerance would be measured before and after the BASES program. In addition their BMI would also be measured before and after undergoing the treatment. These are standard methods used in research such as this. Since these methods are tried and tested, they have great validity and are globally accepted as standard methods of testing. Materials and Instruments to be used In their book titled ‘Biomechanical Evaluation of Movement in Sport and Exercise’ (Payton J. Carl & Bartlett, M. Roger, 2008) explains about the benefits of using BASES…11 biomechanics in obtaining appropriate and reliable data based on the movement of sedentary males. This book gives us the current news on the latest range of biomechanics movement analysis machines and other equipment (The BASES Guide, 2008) which are highly reliable and appropriate for the gauging of movement in sedentary Indian males. The biomechanical equipment helps to check blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tenacity, stamina and blood flow and this would in turn help to gauge and evaluate the motor skill development of both the groups A and B and make an assessment of their progress. The equipment used in BASES are tried and tested by sports scientists and hence are not only appropriate but also very reliable. PROCEDURE The participants of Group A and Group B are randomly selected and are all males - 16 in number. These participants are divided into two groups of 8 members each. The first group with 8 members comprised of the active group who were used to doing exercise on a regular basis. The second group of 8 members made up the non- active group (Sedentary group) comprising of males who led sedentary lifestyles. BASES…12 Group A Each participant in Group A (Active) would be put through a battery of tests before making use of the biomechanical equipment in order to gauge their levels of blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels and their general stamina. Group B Every participant in Group B (In-active group) would undergo the same battery of tests as Group A and their resistance and tolerance levels, in addition to their levels of blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol would be measured. Each group would be put through a series of different exercises based on the biomechanics equipment and their endurance levels are gauged in relation to their cardio-respiratory development. Other exercises would be carried out for each group to measure the tenacity, strength and flexibility of the muscles used in their body movements. (Kathleen Haywood, Nancy Getchell, 2009) Investigation of their body compositions would be carried out to make an assessment of their progresses and check for any necessity to make changes in the type or duration of the exercises in case they are highly prone to risk. BASES…13 Research Design- validity and authenticity This research is a qualitative and comparative study based on the BASES program that involves Aerobics. This exercise program is highly authentic and validated because this is a widely researched subject by sport scientists who have developed it over the years. The research design would include questionnaires and individual interviews based on the life style of each individual for both the active and non- active group. It would also include a battery of tests to gauge the overall fitness and health of each individual. In addition the research design would also include different Aerobic exercises which would be used to check blood pressure, muscle tenacity and density, general well- being and the development of flexibility and body composition. The design method of random sampling is both inexpensive and feasible because it gives an equal opportunity to all those who want to be included in such a program. The tools designed for the testing are highly authentic and reliable because they are all trued and tested over the years. BASES…14 Limitations The BASES program is highly reliable because it has been widely researched over the years and is accepted globally as a standard method of testing. But the program is not without its limitations. The limited group size and the manner in which the program is carried out could be areas of concern unless experts are involved. However, the BASES program has more advantages and serves to greatly benefit all those who experience it. References Aerobic Exercise Health and Fitness Benefits www.medicinenet.com/aerobic_exercise/article.htm American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2003 Update. Dallas, Tex: American Heart Association; (2002) BASES – The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences www.bases.org.uk Brown RD, Whisnant JP, Sicks JD, et al. Stroke incidence, prevalence, and survival: secular trends in Rochester, Minnesota, through 1989. Stroke. 1996; 27: 373–380 Gaziano JM, Manson JE, Ridker PM. Primary and Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease. In: Libby: Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2007:chap 45. Gillum RF, Sempos CT. The end of the long-term decline in stroke mortality in the United States? Stroke. 1997; 28: 1527–1529 Journal of Exercise Physiology www.asep.org/journals/JEPonline Jeff Anderson, Aqua Aerobics exercise www.funswimshop.com/aqua-aerobics Kathleen Haywood, Nancy Getchell, Life- Span Motor Development – 5th Edn. w/W Resource. Human Kinetics, (2009) pgs. 408 Millar Lynn A., Action Plan for Arthritis, Basic Requirements of Aerobic Exercise. Chap. 3, page- 50. Healthline, Publisher: Human Kinetics www.healthline.com/hlbook/art-benefits-of-aerobic-activity National Institute of Health, (2006) Osteoarthritis, Department of Health and Human Services. Published in 2002 and revised in 2006. www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Osteoarthritis/default.asp Payton J. Carl & Bartlett, M. Roger, Biomechanical Evaluation of Movement in Sport and Exercise: The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Guide. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. (2008) 7, 194. http://www.jssm.org Read More