Health Science

Active Aging: The role of Exercise and in Self Esteem in Meaning in Life. 

Yezenia Perez 

Our Lady of the Lake University

This research is important to bring awareness to the importance of exercise in the older adult community, and it aims to contribute to see what are the effects exercise has on our aging communities. The methods will use both a qualitative and quantitative approach, for the main consensus of the data will be collected by a survey and short interview, as well as including a short medical background and hand grip strength test. 

The Effects of an Acute Bout of Aerobic Exercise on a Real-World Attention Task in Young Adults 
 

Alondra Oropeza
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
 

This study aimed to examine the effects of an acute bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on attention in young adults during a real-world attention task. Attention is an important cognitive function that is necessary for learning, academic performance, and completing everyday tasks. Previous research has shown that physical activity and aerobic exercise can positively influence cognitive functioning, including attention, executive function, and information processing. However, much of the existing research has focused on children, adolescents, and older adults, or on laboratory-based cognitive tasks, with less attention given to young adults in real-world settings. Participants in this study consisted of young adults between the ages of 18–40 years old. A within-subjects randomized crossover design was used in which participants completed both a moderate-intensity cycling condition and an active control condition involving light stretching. During both conditions, participants watched a 15-minute video while their attention was measured through behavioral observation, a post-video recall questionnaire, and a perceived attention rating. Behaviors such as looking away from the screen, checking phones, or becoming distracted were observed and coded to assess attention levels. It was expected that participants would demonstrate improved attention and higher recall performance after the aerobic exercise condition compared to the stretching condition. The findings from this study may contribute to a better understanding of how acute aerobic exercise influences attention in young adults during realistic learning situations.

 Spottr: A Human-Centered UI/UX Design Approach to Making Fitness Environments More Accessible

Noelle Rigmaiden
Baylor University

Many people do not attend a gym due to feeling intimidated, whether it be due to lack of knowledge of the machinery, or feeling self conscious about their fitness journey. On the other hand, frequent gymgoers, while not entirely dissatisfied with their gym experience, could still be open to improvements. In this project, we designed a prototype application that functions as a “gym companion” to assist gymgoers, as well as non-gymgoers, in being able to perform to the best of their physical and mental ability in fitness environments. We began our design process by conducting a survey of sixty-three participants who answered targeted questions about their fitness and gym habits. We also examined several competitor applications to understand what design is already out for consumption and how to make our application stand out amongst the market. After analyzing the results of both forms of data, we could conclude that users would benefit the most from a clean, simply designed service that has several features to eliminate intimidation of fitness spaces. Using our findings, we designed and prototyped Spottr; an application that assists the user in the gym, regardless of experience and confidence level. Through occupancy notifications, competing and connecting with friends, curated workouts (that are repeatable and savable to the users profile), Spottr is able to assist anyone at any level achieve their desired goals in the gym and make their fitness experience the best it can be.