This study compared the side effect on women of using a mind / body approach in teaching aerobics classes versus a conventional approach on the following variables: general self - esteem, physical self - esteem, and state - trait anxiety. Sixty - eight female college students participated in the study. The observed treatment party proverbial a mind / body teaching approach based on the neuromuscular integrative operation model while the standard treatment sway bunch established a conventional teaching approach based on current aerobic dance instructional methods. An ANCOVA analysis of the data showed that the treatment party recipient a mind / body approach scored significantly lower on trait anxiety measures than the standard treatment upper hand class, which had avowed a conventional approach. Qualitative analysis of meeting place groups supported the finding that women in the mind / body approach club had bigger their anxiety coping skills as a crop of the mind / body aerobics class.
Over the elapsed 15 senescence Americans have even now taking a more active bag in health than ever before. The physiological benefits of exercise are now well - documented and substantial evidence indicates that aerobic movement performed on a regular basis will aid in the reduction of risk factors that may lead to cardiovascular disease. 1 Recently, however, a new accent is being placed on the psychological benefits of aerobic exertion. Studies have found that not only does one ' s physical health benefit from aerobic exercise, but also one ' s mental health. 2 Earlier anecdotal reports of post - exercise positive effects have been confirmed by umpteen mechanical investigations. 3 Specifically, exercise appears to have a tranquilizing and antidepressant fruit on participants. 4
Due to the want of research examining the psychological effects of different types of aerobic dance instruction, this study focused on the effects of two different teaching methods in aerobic dance classes on general self - esteem, physical self - esteem, and state - trait anxiety.
Perspicacity and Significance
Three centuries after Descartes, the sciences of medicine and health promotion are still based on " the impression of the body as a machine, of disease as the consequence of breakdown of the machine, and of the doctor ' s chore as repairer of the machine. " 5 This paradigm has led to a prominence of " healthism " in the United States, a belief in which a physically fit body is equated with total health and wellness. Not only is a physically fit body considered the key criterion for health and wellness, it has become a upright imperative. 6 Therefrom, in their efforts to promote health, fitness professionals have focused on changing physical characteristics such as body fat degree, weight, resting heart percentage, and aerobic capacity.
By emphasizing physical goals, fitness programs teach persons to value discipline, self - restraint, denial, and alien qualification. This value system has led to the development of multifold diet programs and books which benefit restrained eating, self - discipline, and a regimented eating style in placement to achieve a tailor-made physical state. It has also led to the increase in personal fitness trainers who are hired to design exercise programs and persuade their clients who survey well-timed physical outcomes. In the stadium of aerobics classes, this value system has led to a teaching style in which the instructor leads the class in uniform movement, focusing on isolated parts of the body in scale to achieve opportune physical outcomes. 7, 8 There are many criticisms of this approach to health promotion: the increasing unit of tribe who exercise awfully, 9 the rising incidence of eating disorders10, and the promotion of a thinness standard of body symmetry as a panacea for life ' s difficulties. 11
Aerobic Dance Instruction Guidelines
We followed aerobic dance instruction guidelines from The American Council on Exercise Aerobics Instructor Manual 12 and The Exer - Safety Association 13 when teaching the standard treatment curb groups. For the seen groups, we followed a mind / body approach based on Neuromuscular Integrative Alacrity ( NIA ) that was designed specifically for the reason of this study. This approach combined guidelines from yoga, 14 martial arts, 8 and mind / body fitness instruction. 15
Mind / body Approach to Aerobic Dance Instruction
The mind / body approach as exceptional in this study is represented in the literature by Yoga, martial arts, and Mind / Body Fitness instruction. Yoga creates a mind / body connection by using awareness of the breath and concentration of the mind throughout the poses. Unlike the conventional instructional approach in aerobic dance class, participants are idealistic to procedure according to their own breathing patterns instead of to the beat of the music. Also, unlike the conventional instructional approach, there is not a index of contraindicated movements. Instead, participants are hoping to turn within their own comfort sector in harmony to prevent injury. 14
In a mind / body approach, exercises are tense from ancient disciplines such as yoga, tai chi, and aikido as well as from fashionable systems, such as Feldenkrais and Alexander techniques, and from dance movement therapy. Exercises in a mind / body class are not designed with specific body - centered objectives as found in the conventional aerobic dance guidelines. Instead, objectives accommodate, but are not limited to, enhancing awareness of breathing, increasing ability to breathe, responsiveness the connection of feet to the ground, experiencing the interplay among the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of well - being, motor response powerful and receptivity graceful. 15
The aerobic portion of this type of class allows creativity and spontaneity to emerge in students. Instructors are promising to design choreography to inspire a sense of letting go, and to memorialize that students have secluded rhythms. Wherefore, choreography is simple in disposition to concede students to explore how the movement feels fairly than just go through the motions. If possible, instructors are to have students turn away from the mirrors in scheme to help them feel the movements tolerably than timer them. It is more important in this type of class that students feel the movement reasonably than learn complicated steps. 15
Plan
Clan and Model Selection
The mortals used for this study was female students, 18 second childhood of age and older, enrolled in aerobics classes at Texas Woman ' s University. From this persons, a convenience exemplification of 77 subjects was recruited from four physical motion classes. Subjects in two classes were reserved as the observed faction and subjects in the other two classes were earmarked as the standard regulation parcel. The 37 subjects in a standard guidance association were divided into two classes: one class of 18 and one class of 19 students. The 40 subjects in an empitic cartel were divided into two classes of 20 students each.
Procedures
Both groups, two classes per collection, participated in a one - hour aerobics classes twice a stage for seven weeks. Classes were canceled for two days during the treatment word due to weather conditions; consequently, the treatment consisted of 13 sessions. The same instructor taught the empirical parcel using a mind / body approach and the standard treatment ropes platoon with a conventional approach.
Instrumentation
The following three equipment were used in this study: Field and Steinhardt ' s Physical Self - Esteem Scale, the Rosenberg Self - Esteem Scale, and the State - Trait Anxiety Inventory. Field developed the Physical Self - Esteem Scale and Steinhardt. 16 It is an 11 - item scale constructed to measure physical self - esteem. Using data negligent in this study, the alpha coefficients for the pretest and posttest were. 87 and. 91 respectively.
The Rosenberg Self - Esteem Scale was originally developed by Rosenberg. 17 It consists of ten items with four response choices and is designed to measure self - esteem. A reliability analysis of Rosenberg ' s Self - Esteem Scale using data unflappable in this study produced superior alpha coefficients in the pretest and posttest of. 85 and. 91 respectively.
The State Trait Anxiety List ( STAI ) developed by Speilberger, Gorsuch, and Lushene18 was used to measure the dependent variables, state and trait anxiety. The alpha coefficient calculated in this study for A - State was. 93 in both the pretest and posttest. For the A - Trait scale, the alpha coefficient was. 91 in both the pretest and posttest.
Treatment of the Data
Using pretest legion as covariates, ANCOVA was calculated to determine differences in posttest means. The level of significance used for all analyses was. 05. Also, the backlash of agedness of brother aerobic dance savoir-faire was used as a factor in an ANOVA analysis of the total pretest and posttest army. In the two multitude that were significantly affected by the symbol of second childhood of aerobic dance struggle, a post - hoc analysis using the Student - Newman - Keuls test was conducted to determine which groups were significantly different. For the wish of this analysis, the participants were divided into three categories of perspicacity level: 1 ) participants who had no abbot aerobic dance experience, 2 ) participants who had one to two caducity of experience, and 3 ) participants who had more than two years of experience.
Seat groups were tied at the prong of the treatment chance. The recording - recorded content of the center groups was analyzed by discerning prevailing themes in the discussions and counting the frequency of statements made per matter conglomerate.
Descriptive Characteristics of the Example
The age of the participants in this study ranged from 18 to 51 agedness with a selfish age of 22. 2 years, a mode of 18 senescence, and a standard disparity of 5. 89. The 31 participants who were assigned to the standard treatment restriction combination had a greedy age of 23. 2 oldness with a standard unlikeness of 6. 9, and the 37 participants assigned to the observed treatment mess had a greedy age of 21. 32 agedness with a standard distinction of 4. 72.
Tests of the Hypotheses
ANCOVA analyses were conducted to compare the posttest legion of the two treatment groups using the pretest legion as covariates. The results showed no valid difference between assemblage army on physical self - esteem, general self - esteem or state anxiety. However, there was a statistically heavy difference between accumulation multitude on trait anxiety.
In an ANOVA, it was unhesitating that the pretest score means for trait anxiety of 46. 13 for the standard treatment strings covey and 45. 95 for the heuristic treatment covey were not significantly different, p>. 05. However, an ANCOVA analysis found that the posttest score means of 47. 29 for the standard treatment upper hand chain and 45. 05 for the treatment crew were significantly different, p<. 05.
Core Gathering Analysis
Following Krueger ' s19 suggested format, a cynosure covey was conducted at the boundary of the last class for each of the four classes. The standard treatment subjection meeting place groups had 14 and 15 volunteers respectively, representing 78 % of the total clique. There were 13 and 14 volunteers respectively in the seen treatment nerve center groups representing 67 % of the total formation.
When asked how they felt right after this class, 71 percent of the standard treatment containment grade responses referred to physical conditions, such as being out of breath, run-down, or hungry. Eighty - seven percent of the observed treatment circle responses dealt with emotional conditions, such as feel slick, less taut, relaxed, quiet, giant and light. They also uttered they felt like they had more energy and strength, and felt more energized. All of the practical body responses to the query, " How did you feel right after class? " were positive in nature.
When asked how involvement in this class had affected other areas of their lives, the majority of the standard treatment dominion group’ s answers, 75 %, had a physical individuality matter and was positive in nature. The responses included: " I slept better; I ate better; and I lost weight. " Of the responses that were emotional in nature, half were positive, such as " I felt good about myself for working out, " and half were negative, such as " I felt contracted if I ate bad food seeing I had worked out ". The observed treatment trust responses were evenly divided between positive physical statements and positive emotional statement. Their responses included: " during stressful times it has helped me to press on my body and breathe; I stretch when I feel taut while rush on the computer; I am serving to meet in refinement better; I use the breathing when I get cuckoo and it helps quiet me down.
"
When asked what feelings they plugged in during this winsomeness, the majority of the informal treatment superintendence class answers, 75 %, dealt with emotional issues. Forty - four percent of the responses mentioned frustration. For mention, they distinct touch " confusion; frustrated seeing I couldn ' t keep up; strained to keep up with everyone larger; impractical; uncoordinated; and struggling. " There were a few, however, who felt talented when they finally " got " the steps, and that the artistry was a casualty of frustration and volley. Conversely, 77 % of the seen treatment formation ' s answers focused on feelings of " joy, desire, and pash for my body, moving freely, rejuvenation, power, and charm. "
Aerobics instructors can learn from this study that when participants are utopian to listen to their own mind and body signals, the movement in delicacy can see through more than the physical goals of increasing aerobic capacity and burning body fat. Hopefully, aerobics instructors and health educators comparable will be happy to learn feeling techniques that enable the participants in their classes to find command from within themselves reasonably than from external sources.
Findings
Although studies have shown the positive effects of aerobic movement on psychological well being, the literature fails to grant ticket of the flak of different styles of doctrine aerobic life on psychological variables. The analysis of the learning in this study ajar information surveillance the follow through of a mind / body doctrine approach as compared to a conventional feeling approach on selected psychological variables.
Usual Self - Esteem
Although there were no rich changes in usual self - esteem as a production of the seven - age exercise sessions, several studies have shown improvements in frequent self - esteem coterminous exercise programs. 20 These studies ranged in spell from 12 weeks to one term, as variant to the study cited in this chargeless, which was seven weeks. This indicates that a seven - tour treatment period may not be competent to development in changes in self - esteem.
The post - hoc analysis of characteristic self - esteem posttest swarm showed a knowing difference between the suite of participants who had zero dotage of aerobic dance ( penurious = 23. 33 ) and the trust that had more than two senescence of experience ( parsimonious = 25. 17 ). Due to there were no significant differences in the pretest scores among these groups, the post - hoc analysis suggests that those with religious aerobic dance experience are more unfolding to improve prevailing self - esteem as a backwash of charge in aerobic dance than those without abbot aerobic dance experience.
Dishman 2 who stated “ it seems unlikely that all types, position, and settings of exercise will affect all aspects of mental health for all people” supports this finding. Also, we choice that the polestar circle members who made comments such as " I wouldn ' t have done it if I hadn ' t have had to come to pulchritude " and " I was frustrated through I couldn ' t keep up " were those who had not participated in aerobic dance classes in the bygone.
Physical Self - Esteem
The analysis of Physical Self - Esteem posttest army indicated no important difference between the treatment and common treatment curb bunch. Seeing the strapping sociable pressures for women to achieve romantic beauty standards, a 14 - talk dirty deed was probably not long enough to contact physical self - esteem attitudes, and perhaps only vivid body awareness.
Interestingly, the post - hoc analysis did grandstand play that there was a representative difference in the rapacious pretest multitude for Physical Self - Esteem between the organization with zero second childhood of aerobic experience ( rapacious = 30. 93 ) and the groups with one to two ( parsimonious = 35 ) and more than two senility ( mercenary = 37. 22 ) of aerobic dance experience. These results expose a relationship between empiricism in aerobic dance and physical self - esteem however causality cannot be admitted.
State Anxiety
A review of the literature shows that aerobic exercise ranging in lifetime from eight weeks to one pace indeed affects state anxiety. 21 Inconsistent to the ploy used in this study, the researchers in previous studies have measured the pursuance of aerobic action on state anxiety by administering the pretest and posttest straightaway touching an exercise introduction. In this study, the tests were administered monastic to an exercise meet. Seeing the participants in this study were college students, the pressures of show may have impacted state anxiety. Many of the students had mid - term examinations on the day of the posttest administration. This could be the ground that there were no expressing differences in posttest state anxiety swarm.
Disposition Anxiety
In this study, the Trait Anxiety posttest scores were significantly different, p<. 05 ) between the treatment and characteristic treatment domination groups. Both groups ' character anxiety myriad did not decrease, however. Instead, the standard treatment check cluster score increased while the treatment association score decreased.
Results from the focus groups means the findings in this analysis. Whereas members of the standard treatment qualification clump stated that they felt " rushed " when class was over, " held " if they ate a fattening food, " taut to keep up with everyone another ", the members of the treatment accumulation stated that they felt " less taut ", " relaxed ", and " restful " when class was over, and that they had learned to " use the breathing " techniques whenever they felt boiling or taut guise of class, and that they had learned to " let go " while participating in this class.
Discussion
Berger and Owen22 compared the relative temper benefits of swimming and Hatha yoga and found that yoga participants core inpouring to physical sensations in neatness to stretch their muscles as far as possible and somewhere avoid drawing near a point of painfulness. Although yoga is not an aerobic liveliness, Berger and Owen23 found that both swimming and yoga were effective in reducing stress. They theorized that the fact that both activities facilitated abdominal breathing was the mechanism that helped lower stress in the groups.
The mind / body teaching approach used in this study also used abdominal breathing and emphasized tuning inward and moving in comfort. The limelight gang responses from the mind / body groups shore the theory that abdominal breathing and peek internal stress cues is contributive in reducing trait anxiety.
Based on the results in this study, recommendations can be made for health educators and aerobics instructors. Health educators should be aware that when they are teaching people to increase physical motion that some activities may be more important to any people cope with stress more effectively in their lives, and other activities may utterly add stress to their lives.
Recommendations for Further Study
On the basis of the data and findings presented in this study, the following recommendations for to come study are made:
1. Replicate the study using a larger and randomly selected model in orderliness to increase the power of the study.
2. Replicate the study with treatment duration of at virgin six months in adjustment to increase the denouement of the treatment.
3. Replicate the study using other aerobic activities that are led by an instructor to determine if the results of this study can be impalpable to other activities.
Implications for Health Educators and Aerobics Instructors
This study has several implications for health education in general, and fitness education in particular. Based on the results of this study, and fitness skillful may prayer to learn how to deliver mind / body aerobic dance programs, and health education professionals may invocation to act as a resource in steering clients to these programs.
This study is the first quasi - practical design research to compare a mind / body teaching approach in aerobic dance to a conventional approach. In this way, the results contribute to the literature, which examines the relationship between aerobic bustle and psychological variables. Also, this study provides qualitative sagaciousness into the assumptions that aerobic hustle improves psychological well being by exposition that the positive psychological effects may differ depending on the teaching approach that is used in the aerobic life.
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