Routledge Research in Physical Activity and Health – Serie

Defining ‘politics’ as contests over ideas, values and visions about what a physically active society could be, this book uses critical analysis to challenge accepted truths about physical activity and therefore opens up a pathway to more effective, and more socially just, physical activity policy.Critiquing global and national physical activity policies which are arguing for significant change to societies around the world, The Politics of Physical Activity presents empirical case studies to illustrate the political dimensions of advocating for physical activity promotion, including discussions of resourcing difficulties, conflicts of interest and opportunity costs. It explores physical activity as a multi-sectoral tool that is being applied to political ideas and policy goals as varied as education, sustainability and social cohesion, and asks what good physical activity really looks like. This is important and provocative reading for any student, researcher, practitioner or policy maker with an interest in physical activity, public health or public policy.

The organs of the gastro-intestinal tract play an essential role in sustained physical activity, but their consideration in exercise-related literature has, to this point, been limited. Physical Activity and the Gastro-Intestinal Tract is the first book to explain the function and response to exercise of the gastro-intestinal system, in cases of both health and disease, and helps to shed light on the role they play in acute and chronic exercise.Professor Roy Shephard synthesises previously disparate research to explain the physiology, function, pathology of disease and role of exercise in both health and chronic disease, covering topics including: physical activity and the oesophagus gastro-duodenal function and physical activity physical activity and peptic ulcers physical activity and gastro-oesophageal cancers physical activity and the function of the large bowel physical activity and chronic intestinal inflammation.With each chapter including a thorough bibliography and signposts to further reading, Physical Activity and the Gastro-Intestinal Tract provides a complete reference for understanding how exercise affects the function of the digestive organs. It is an important text for academics and upper-level students in sports medicine and exercise physiology, and for health professionals in preventative medicine.

This book critically evaluates the complex relations between physical activity, health imperatives and cultural and social opportunities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).The book explores the uncertainty of knowledge around physical activity behavior and its distinctive meanings in LMIC contexts, the factors influencing physical activity, and how populations across the world understand and live the concept of physical activity. It discusses the key challenges and opportunities for sustaining physical activity within geographically and culturally diverse contexts of LMICs; introduces the reader to contemporary global physical activity approaches, models and policies; and presents case studies from around the world, including Asia, Africa, South America, the Pacific and Europe. Overall, the text relates theory to practical examples to facilitate a better understanding of physical activity in context, emphasizes the need for targeted, context-specific and locally relevant interventions to create PA-enabling environments in LMICs, and highlights the role of a range of stakeholders, including policy makers and urban planners, sport and recreation services, mass media, educators and the civil society in shaping population physical activity levels. Taken together, this edited volume brings together the latest research on PA in LMICs from around the world, informs and directs future research and necessary policy change towards the sustainable integration of PA opportunities, and seeks to ultimately foster and promote population-based PA in LMIC settings.By presenting empirical data and policy recommendations, this text will appeal to scholars, researchers and practitioners with an interest in physical activity research, public health, health promotion, sociology of sport, and sports sciences in LMICs, as well as policy makers and experts working in health promotion, public health, sports and fitness, but also in the urban planning and infrastructure and governmental industries.

As technology becomes an ever more prevalent part of everyday life and population-based physical activity programmes seek new ways to increase lifelong engagement with physical activity, so the two have become increasingly linked. This book offers a thorough, critical examination of emerging technologies in physical activity and health, considering technological interventions within the dominant theoretical frameworks, exploring the challenges of integrating technology into physical activity promotion and offering solutions for its implementation.Technology in Physical Activity and Health Promotion occupies a broadly positive stance toward interactive technology initiatives and, while discussing some negative implications of an increased use of technology, offers practical recommendations for promoting physical activity through a range of media, including:social mediamobile appsglobal positioning and geographic information systemswearablesactive videogames (exergaming)virtual reality settings.Offering a logical and clear critique of technology in physical activity and health promotion, this book will serve as an essential reference for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduate students and scholars working in public health, physical activity and health and kinesiology, and healthcare professionals.

Physical Activity and the Abdominal Viscera is the first book to examine the response of the visceral organs to acute and chronic physical activity, in cases of both health and disease. Bringing together a previously disparate body of research, Professor Roy Shephard sets out the physiology, function during exercise, pathology of disease, and role of physical activity in preventing and managing disease in the visceral organs.Working systematically through the viscera, the book first identifies the response to exercise and pathologies of the liver, gall bladder and biliary tract, then goes on to examine the function of the kidneys and bladder, and finally covers issues including the spleen, sickle cell disease and prostate cancer.Providing a clear and well-structured guide to the relationship between the visceral organs and physical activity, Physical Activity and the Abdominal Viscera is a vital reference text for academics and upper-level students in sports medicine and clinical exercise physiology, and for health professionals in preventive medicine.

There have been many books written on the subject of obesity, but most have approached the topic from the standpoint of the nutritionist, concluding from the somewhat fallacious evidence of changes in body mass that exercise has little place in the prevention or the treatment of obesity. This new volume, written by an exercise physiologist, approaches the topic through a thoughtful lens, suggesting that regular physical activity plays an important role in preventing the development of obesity, is a valuable adjunct therapy in the treatment of the established condition, and makes a solid contribution to the maintenance of weight loss once target weights have been achieved.In addition to detailing evidence that supports such a conclusion, the text offers a unique perspective on obesity over the ages. It evaluates methods of determining body fat content that are appropriate to field and epidemiological studies, and it looks at the timing and aetiology of the recent obesity epidemic. It also considers the diseases associated with obesity and the resultant medical costs, attempting to disentangle the respective contributions of a sedentary lifestyle and the resultant accumulation of fat to the observed patterns of ill-health. Other sections of the text suggest that adipose tissue has important functions beyond the passive storage of energy, and looks critically at the excuse of "bad genes" that some people plead to explain their excessive body weight.Obesity: A Kinesiologist’s Perspective should thus provide helpful information and be a key resource for students and researchers alike in bariatrics, kinesiology and nutrition as well as the related disciplines.

This book is a comprehensive summary of the recommendations for best practice, and current evidence, for physical activity and rehabilitation of functional deficits in individuals with end-stage diseases. While advances in technology have afforded us the opportunity to live longer lives, it has also demanded an expansion of focus of medical interventions towards palliative care to enhance the quality of life.Exercise and healthcare professionals must strive to broaden their perspectives to provide for the unique needs of these individuals, and to successfully engage with them, to achieve the most positive outcomes throughout the entire continuum of care. Healthcare providers play a critical role in advocating for care to allow individuals to remain physically active for as long as possible, even in the face of declining health. Finally, due to the increasing and progressively emergent healthcare utilization required by these individuals, a significant cost burden is experienced by healthcare systems, patients, families, and payers. There is evidence of substantial protective effects of physical activity, prevention, safety, and rehabilitative procedures to reduce hospital readmissions, reduce length of stay, and assist in avoiding unwarranted or unnecessary diagnostic tests or procedures.Physical activity has been proven to have a substantial impact and protective effects on virtually all medical conditions. During curative management, but especially during transitional phases to palliative care, other strategies need enhanced consideration to complement the existing plan of care and help to improve patient’s quality of life. Ideally, physical medicine would be at the forefront of allowing individuals to live their best life until the very end.Physical Activity and Rehabilitation in Life-threatening Illness is key reading for academics and policy makers in physical activity, international exercise, wellness and rehabilitation, and related disciplines, as well as research-focused clinicians in settings where patients with advanced illness are frequently encountered.

Defining ‘politics’ as contests over ideas, values and visions about what a physically active society could be, this book uses critical analysis to challenge accepted truths about physical activity and therefore opens up a pathway to more effective, and more socially just, physical activity policy.Critiquing global and national physical activity policies which are arguing for significant change to societies around the world, The Politics of Physical Activity presents empirical case studies to illustrate the political dimensions of advocating for physical activity promotion, including discussions of resourcing difficulties, conflicts of interest and opportunity costs. It explores physical activity as a multi-sectoral tool that is being applied to political ideas and policy goals as varied as education, sustainability and social cohesion, and asks what good physical activity really looks like. This is important and provocative reading for any student, researcher, practitioner or policy maker with an interest in physical activity, public health or public policy.

This book is a comprehensive summary of the recommendations for best practice, and current evidence, for physical activity and rehabilitation of functional deficits in individuals with end-stage diseases. While advances in technology have afforded us the opportunity to live longer lives, it has also demanded an expansion of focus of medical interventions towards palliative care to enhance the quality of life.Exercise and healthcare professionals must strive to broaden their perspectives to provide for the unique needs of these individuals, and to successfully engage with them, to achieve the most positive outcomes throughout the entire continuum of care. Healthcare providers play a critical role in advocating for care to allow individuals to remain physically active for as long as possible, even in the face of declining health. Finally, due to the increasing and progressively emergent healthcare utilization required by these individuals, a significant cost burden is experienced by healthcare systems, patients, families, and payers. There is evidence of substantial protective effects of physical activity, prevention, safety, and rehabilitative procedures to reduce hospital readmissions, reduce length of stay, and assist in avoiding unwarranted or unnecessary diagnostic tests or procedures.Physical activity has been proven to have a substantial impact and protective effects on virtually all medical conditions. During curative management, but especially during transitional phases to palliative care, other strategies need enhanced consideration to complement the existing plan of care and help to improve patient’s quality of life. Ideally, physical medicine would be at the forefront of allowing individuals to live their best life until the very end.Physical Activity and Rehabilitation in Life-threatening Illness is key reading for academics and policy makers in physical activity, international exercise, wellness and rehabilitation, and related disciplines, as well as research-focused clinicians in settings where patients with advanced illness are frequently encountered.

This book critically evaluates the complex relations between physical activity, health imperatives and cultural and social opportunities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).The book explores the uncertainty of knowledge around physical activity behavior and its distinctive meanings in LMIC contexts, the factors influencing physical activity, and how populations across the world understand and live the concept of physical activity. It discusses the key challenges and opportunities for sustaining physical activity within geographically and culturally diverse contexts of LMICs; introduces the reader to contemporary global physical activity approaches, models and policies; and presents case studies from around the world, including Asia, Africa, South America, the Pacific and Europe. Overall, the text relates theory to practical examples to facilitate a better understanding of physical activity in context, emphasizes the need for targeted, context-specific and locally relevant interventions to create PA-enabling environments in LMICs, and highlights the role of a range of stakeholders, including policy makers and urban planners, sport and recreation services, mass media, educators and the civil society in shaping population physical activity levels. Taken together, this edited volume brings together the latest research on PA in LMICs from around the world, informs and directs future research and necessary policy change towards the sustainable integration of PA opportunities, and seeks to ultimately foster and promote population-based PA in LMIC settings.By presenting empirical data and policy recommendations, this text will appeal to scholars, researchers and practitioners with an interest in physical activity research, public health, health promotion, sociology of sport, and sports sciences in LMICs, as well as policy makers and experts working in health promotion, public health, sports and fitness, but also in the urban planning and infrastructure and governmental industries.

This book examines the development of sport sponsorship and its impact on global public health. It argues that sport governing bodies should not continue to treat fans solely as consumers, and that a more ethical approach should be taken to sport sponsorship.Drawing on research from sport studies, marketing and public health, the book presents a brief history of advertising and marketing in sport, including the importance of tobacco in the development of sport sponsorship, before exploring key aspects of the contemporary relationship between sport and corporate sponsors, including mega-events, digital technologies and brand engagement. It offers an in-depth case study of sponsorship in the English Premier League – one of the world’s most successful sporting properties – before considering how sport might be better regulated, now and in the future, to better protect the interests of fans and other stakeholders from a health perspective. The book features a number of insightful images showcasing sport sponsorship in connection with tobacco, mega-events, alcohol, junk food and drink, and gambling over the years.Addressing a topical and hugely important issue, this is important reading for students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers with an interest in sport business and management, the ethics of sport, physical activity and health, event studies, marketing or public health.

This book examines the development of sport sponsorship and its impact on global public health. It argues that sport governing bodies should not continue to treat fans solely as consumers, and that a more ethical approach should be taken to sport sponsorship.Drawing on research from sport studies, marketing and public health, the book presents a brief history of advertising and marketing in sport, including the importance of tobacco in the development of sport sponsorship, before exploring key aspects of the contemporary relationship between sport and corporate sponsors, including mega-events, digital technologies and brand engagement. It offers an in-depth case study of sponsorship in the English Premier League – one of the world’s most successful sporting properties – before considering how sport might be better regulated, now and in the future, to better protect the interests of fans and other stakeholders from a health perspective. The book features a number of insightful images showcasing sport sponsorship in connection with tobacco, mega-events, alcohol, junk food and drink, and gambling over the years.Addressing a topical and hugely important issue, this is important reading for students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers with an interest in sport business and management, the ethics of sport, physical activity and health, event studies, marketing or public health.

The organs of the gastro-intestinal tract play an essential role in sustained physical activity, but their consideration in exercise-related literature has, to this point, been limited. Physical Activity and the Gastro-Intestinal Tract is the first book to explain the function and response to exercise of the gastro-intestinal system, in cases of both health and disease, and helps to shed light on the role they play in acute and chronic exercise.Professor Roy Shephard synthesises previously disparate research to explain the physiology, function, pathology of disease and role of exercise in both health and chronic disease, covering topics including: physical activity and the oesophagus gastro-duodenal function and physical activity physical activity and peptic ulcers physical activity and gastro-oesophageal cancers physical activity and the function of the large bowel physical activity and chronic intestinal inflammation.With each chapter including a thorough bibliography and signposts to further reading, Physical Activity and the Gastro-Intestinal Tract provides a complete reference for understanding how exercise affects the function of the digestive organs. It is an important text for academics and upper-level students in sports medicine and exercise physiology, and for health professionals in preventative medicine.

There have been many books written on the subject of obesity, but most have approached the topic from the standpoint of the nutritionist, concluding from the somewhat fallacious evidence of changes in body mass that exercise has little place in the prevention or the treatment of obesity. This new volume, written by an exercise physiologist, approaches the topic through a thoughtful lens, suggesting that regular physical activity plays an important role in preventing the development of obesity, is a valuable adjunct therapy in the treatment of the established condition, and makes a solid contribution to the maintenance of weight loss once target weights have been achieved.In addition to detailing evidence that supports such a conclusion, the text offers a unique perspective on obesity over the ages. It evaluates methods of determining body fat content that are appropriate to field and epidemiological studies, and it looks at the timing and aetiology of the recent obesity epidemic. It also considers the diseases associated with obesity and the resultant medical costs, attempting to disentangle the respective contributions of a sedentary lifestyle and the resultant accumulation of fat to the observed patterns of ill-health. Other sections of the text suggest that adipose tissue has important functions beyond the passive storage of energy, and looks critically at the excuse of "bad genes" that some people plead to explain their excessive body weight.Obesity: A Kinesiologist’s Perspective should thus provide helpful information and be a key resource for students and researchers alike in bariatrics, kinesiology and nutrition as well as the related disciplines.

As technology becomes an ever more prevalent part of everyday life and population-based physical activity programmes seek new ways to increase lifelong engagement with physical activity, so the two have become increasingly linked. This book offers a thorough, critical examination of emerging technologies in physical activity and health, considering technological interventions within the dominant theoretical frameworks, exploring the challenges of integrating technology into physical activity promotion and offering solutions for its implementation.Technology in Physical Activity and Health Promotion occupies a broadly positive stance toward interactive technology initiatives and, while discussing some negative implications of an increased use of technology, offers practical recommendations for promoting physical activity through a range of media, including:social mediamobile appsglobal positioning and geographic information systemswearablesactive videogames (exergaming)virtual reality settings.Offering a logical and clear critique of technology in physical activity and health promotion, this book will serve as an essential reference for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduate students and scholars working in public health, physical activity and health and kinesiology, and healthcare professionals.