CHANGES IN QUALITY OF LIFE, STRENGTH AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY AFTER 4-WEEKS OF SUPERVISED ONLINE BURPEES TRAINING DURING THE COVID-19 QUARANTINE IN HEALTHY YOUNG ADULTS: A PILOT STUDY

Authors

  • Salvatore Ficarra Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Italy
  • Ewan Thomas Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Italy
  • Guglielmo Pillitteri Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Italy
  • Davide Migliore Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Italy
  • Manuel Gómez-López Department of Physical Activity and Sport, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Murcia, Spain
  • Antonio Palma Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Italy
  • Antonino Bianco Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Italy

Abstract

In order to maintain physical fitness during the COVID-19 quarantine, we designed a short-term intervention with one body-weight exercise – burpees. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand level of feasibility and potential benefits of our protocol to different variables in young adults during the COVID-19 quarantine. An online 4-week intervention was administered to 13 young adults (age 22.5±1.39 years, weight 71.8±10.1 kg). The main phase of each session consisted of burpees, a calisthenics body-weight exercises. The training was administered daily. Data regarding quality of life (QoL), body composition, posture, heart rate variability (HRV), cardiovascular health, and strength were collected before and after the intervention period. Participants’ QoL significantly increased after four weeks (p=.025). Also, participants’ strength improved, assessed by the push-up test (p=.017). Systolic blood pressure showed no difference between the pre- and post-measures, while a significant reduction was found in diastolic blood pressure. The HRV assessment showed increased mean RR (p=.005) and RMSSD (p=.014) and decreased mean HR (p=.004) (in the time domain). For the frequency-domain variables, no significant difference was found. No significant changes were noted in body composition, posture, handgrip strength and countermovement squat jump height. Our preliminary results suggest that the 4-week daily online burpees intervention is a feasible method that could improve QoL, upper body strength and HRV in young adults. This non-time-consuming approach could be easily administered to promote healthy living and counteract physical inactivity during COVID-19 restrictions thanks to its feasibility, short duration, and low cost.

Key words: Exercise, Coronavirus, Internet-Based Intervention, Health Promotion

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Published

2022-07-01

How to Cite

Ficarra, S., Thomas, E., Pillitteri, G., Migliore, D., Gómez-López , M., Palma, A., & Bianco, A. (2022). CHANGES IN QUALITY OF LIFE, STRENGTH AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY AFTER 4-WEEKS OF SUPERVISED ONLINE BURPEES TRAINING DURING THE COVID-19 QUARANTINE IN HEALTHY YOUNG ADULTS: A PILOT STUDY. Kinesiology, 54(1), 116–125. Retrieved from https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/kinesiology/article/view/17872

Issue

Vol. 54 No. 1 (2022)

Section

Articles

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