BACKGROUND: Sedentary behavior and physical inactivity are modifiable risk factors at the forefront of prevention and health promotion strategies. The health benefits of physical activity (PA) have been widely demonstrated in chronic diseases and have led to the prescription of adapted PA. To date, French scientific data are insufficient to evaluate the effectiveness of prescribing adapted PA. This study aimed (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based program and (2) to identify patient characteristics at inclusion that could be associated with improved post-program anthropometric data.
METHODS: Our sample was composed of 113 participants with a chronic disease (83.18% women) with a mean age of 55.4 ± 13.9 years. Participants benefited from an 8-week adapted PA program. All participants were evaluated at the beginning and end of the program by anthropometric measurements, a subjective measure of the level of PA and a measure of physical condition.
RESULTS: Almost 86% of the participants were overweight and two-thirds were obese. Statistical analyses showed a significant improvement in physical condition, expressed by a better cardiorespiratory endurance (up to +14% for a 2 min walk test; MT0 = 78.1 m vs. MT1 = 89 m; p < 0.001 with a 2 min walk test), improved flexibility (+12.5%; MT0 = 2.4 vs. MT1 = 2.7; p < 0.001), and increased muscle strength in the lower limbs (+22.7%; MT0 = 11.9 vs. MT1 = 14.6; p < 0.001). The level of physical activity increased significantly for all participants (57.52% of inactive individuals at T0 vs. 5.31% at T1; p = 0.004). Correlational analyses revealed that the decrease in BMI and weight throughout the program correlated positively with age (r = 0.252 and p = 0.007, and r = 0.247 and p = 0.008, respectively) and negatively with BMI from baseline (r = -0.271; p = 0.004).
CONCLUSIONS: The key points of this community-based PA program are the following: (1) It improves participants\' physical condition. (2) It improves anthropometric parameters. (3) It modifies physical activity behavior. Furthermore, in the context of the program set up specifically for this purpose, it would appear that elderly and overweight people are more likely to exhibit beneficial effects on anthropometric parameters than younger participants or those with a high level of obesity. However, these results need to be confirmed by a long-term evaluation of the effectiveness of such devices.

Schizophrenia is associated with changes in white matter (WM) integrity and with reduced life expectancy, in part because of the cardiometabolic side effects of antipsychotics. Physical activity (PA) has emerged as a candidate lifestyle intervention that is safe and effective. The study aimed to assess how an adapted PA program delivered remotely by web (e-APA) improved WM integrity in patients with schizophrenia (SZPs) and healthy controls (HCs) and to evaluate associations among WM integrity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and symptom severity. This longitudinal study was conducted over 16 weeks with 31 participants (18 SZPs and 13 HCs). Diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics were employed to assess WM integrity. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and assessments for clinical symptoms included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Self-evaluation of Negative Symptoms and the Brief Negative Syndrome Scale (BNSS). Only the SZPs had significantly increased WM integrity after the e-APA program, with increased fractional anisotropy and decreased radial diffusivity in fasciculi involved in motor functions and language process. Furthermore, decreased negative symptoms assessed with BNSS were associated with greater WM integrity following the program. These findings suggest that e-APA may improve WM integrity abnormalities and support e-APA as a promising therapeutic strategy.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of incurable visual impairment and impacts daily life. There are benefits of physical activity for people who are affected with AMD; however, living with AMD is associated with lower levels of physical activity and social isolation. The aim of this study was to explore how older people with AMD in Sweden experienced participation in a 6-month empowerment-based physical activity intervention and how it influenced their physical abilities. Methods: The participants were nine individuals with AMD aged 70-87 years. The intervention comprised physical and social activities in a group twice a week and individual health coaching on three occasions. The study was based on an exploratory qualitative case study design. Results: The findings showed two themes: created meaningfulness in life and creative and playful ways to develop body movements. The findings also showed improved muscle strength after the intervention. Conclusions: The findings showed that participants had increased social connectedness, improved physical self-efficacy and physical ability, as well as improved muscle strength. The empowerment process of the intervention was appreciated by the participants and challenged them to participate in physical activity offered by the municipality for older individuals.

The emergence of social robots in gerontology has introduced new playful and reassuring media into nursing homes and geriatric wards. Despite promising results, their complexity hinders their widespread adoption. The Intelligent Interactive Care System aims to remedy these limitations by offering interactive therapeutic workshops. This study evaluates residents\' involvement in these workshops within an adapted activity and care center, revealing a high level of involvement and satisfaction.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games promise not only world-class sporting competition, but also a legacy of sustainable sport that extends far beyond the stadiums. At the heart of this legacy are the Healthy Sports Houses, innovative projects designed to promote an active lifestyle and improve public health in the long term.

This study investigated the efficacy of an Adapted Kata Training Program (AKTP) in enhancing balance for a 10-year-old child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), employing a mixed-model approach for data collection. Over 12 weeks, the AKTP demonstrated significant improvements in the child\'s balance abilities, with an 11% increase in static balance, 8% in proprioceptive, 12% in horizontal, and 14% in vertical balance performance. These improvements persisted in a follow-up assessment after four weeks. Observations by the child\'s mother corroborated the above findings. Consequently, this research suggests the AKTP as a valuable non-pharmacological intervention to improve balance in children with ASD. However, further studies are necessary to validate these results and explore the impact on additional developmental domains, such as cognitive and motor skills.

Breast cancer (BC)-related sequelae drastically impact the psychophysical functioning and quality of life of affected women. Adapted physical activity (APA) has proved to effectively counteract these impairments in a non-medicalized framework. In particular, dragon boats are able to promote body functionality, social interaction, and quality of life in BC survivors, but the literature on specific motor gestures is scarce and practice is still based more on a re-educative perspective than a performative one. In this context, the present longitudinal study investigated the benefits of an adapted biofeedback-based sensorimotor training intervention on upper body functionality in a team of dragon ladies. The 8-week intervention was conceived as integrated dry workout sessions led by an APA kinesiologist and applied a novel sensorized proprioceptive device, such as a Libra board. Post-protocol evaluation revealed a significant improvement in bilateral upper limb mobility, core endurance, and trunk stability along with a distress decrease and quality of life enhancement through validated assessment tools. Our findings suggest that integrating biofeedback-based workout sessions can effectively promote upper body functionality in BC survivors practicing dragon boating. Furthermore, our innovative approach could help spread methodological hints able to boost exercise adherence in this target population, thus counteracting cancer recurrence while promoting overall well-being.

UNASSIGNED: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is an inherited neuropathy that affects the sensory and motor nerves. It can be considered the most common neuromuscular disease, with a prevalence of 1/2500.
UNASSIGNED: Considering the absence of a specific medical treatment and the benefits shown by physical activity in this population, a systematic review was completed using several search engines (Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science) to analyze the use, effectiveness, and safety of a training program performed in telecoaching (TC). TC is a new training mode that uses mobile devices and digital technology to ensure remote access to training.
UNASSIGNED: Of the 382 studies identified, only 7 met the inclusion criteria. The effects of a TC training program included improvements in strength, cardiovascular ability, and functional abilities, as well as gait and fatigue. However, the quality of the studies was moderate, the size of the participants in each study was small, and the outcome measured was partial.
UNASSIGNED: Although many studies have identified statistically significant changes following the administration of the TC training protocol, further studies are needed, with appropriate study power, better quality, and a higher sample size.

UNASSIGNED: Adapted physical activity programs have shown promising results in reducing the physical, social and psychological side effects associated with breast cancer, but the extent to which they can be effectively adopted, implemented and maintained is unclear. The aim of this study is to use the framework to guide the planning and evaluation of programs according to the 5 following keys: Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to evaluate a fencing program under the French acronym RIPOSTE (Reconstruction, Image de soi, Posture, Oncologie, Santé, Thérapie, Escrime) literally in English (Reconstruction, Self-Image, Posture, Oncology, Health, Therapy, Fencing). This program is an innovative intervention focused on improving the quality of life (QoL) of breast cancer surgery patients through fencing.
UNASSIGNED: A convergent mixed methods pilot study was conducted to preliminary evaluate the different RE-AIM dimension of the pilot program. Twenty-four participants who have just undergone surgery for invasive breast cancer were randomly allocated in two groups: one group started immediately after their inclusion (Early RIPOSTE group) and the other started 3 months following their inclusion (Delayed RIPOSTE group). Participants answered a questionnaire at inclusion and at the end of the program on QoL, shoulder functional capacity, fatigue, anxiety-depression and physical activity.
UNASSIGNED: RIPOSTE program was able to reach mainly young and dynamic participants, attracted by the originality of fencing and keen to improve their physical condition. Regarding effectiveness, our results suggest a trend to the improvement of QoL, shoulder functional capacity, fatigue and anxiety-depression state, even without any significant differences between the Early RIPOSTE group and the Delayed RIPOSTE group.
UNASSIGNED: The cooperation, exchanges and cohesion within the group greatly facilitated the adoption of the program, whereas interruptions during school vacations were the main barriers. The intervention was moderately well implemented and adherence to the protocol was suitable.
UNASSIGNED: RIPOSTE is an acceptable and effective program for involving breast cancer survivors in physical activity, that needs to be tested at a larger scale to investigate its effectiveness, but has the potential to be transferred and scaled up worldwide.