This study classified leisure activity types into active, passive, and social leisure activities based on theory, and focused on determining the type that has a significant influence on the self-efficacy and social adjustment of immigrants staying in South Korea. The results of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), including post-hoc analysis using SPSS 23.0, were as follows: in principle, immigrants who participate in active or social leisure activities perceive their self-efficacy and social adjustment to be high. Differing slightly from this, the passive leisure activity type, which includes activities such as reading alone, listening to music, and surfing the web, may relieve their stress or provide them with psychological stability, but it was not found to be helpful in their adjustment to the new culture. The significance of this study lies in the finding that leisure activities help immigrants with social adjustment, in addition to physical and psychological aids that are already well known. We hope that the findings of the present study can be used as basic data for helping immigrants with smooth social adjustment and increasing their quality of life.

The present study examined the influence of a customized mouthguard on body alignment and balance performance in professional basketball players. Twenty-three professional male basketball players, aged 25.8 ± 8.6 years old, were voluntarily assigned to participate in three treatments, including no treatment (no mouthguard), acute treatment (wearing a mouthguard), and repeated treatments (8 weeks follow-up). Body alignment status, such as spinal and pelvic posture and balance performance, were measured at each time point using a 3D Formetric III (Germany) and a postural control device (Posturomed 202, Germany), respectively. A repeated MANOVA analysis with a Bonferroni post hoc test was applied, and the adjusted p-value was set at 0.02. No significant treatment effect was observed in body alignment (p = 0.302). However, univariate analysis showed a significant difference in pelvic torsion, where it was decreased after acute and repeated mouthguard treatments compared to no treatment (p < 0.001). Kyphotic angle also increased significantly following 8 weeks of treatment compared to no treatment (p < 0.001) and acute treatment (p < 0.002). There was a significant treatment effect on balance performance (p < 0.001). Both static and dynamic balance performance improved following 8 weeks of treatment (p < 0.001). Our study revealed that a customized mouthguard provides a benefit to balance performance. Notably, repeated treatment impacts on balance performance more than acute treatment. Although our findings did not show a significant effect on body alignment, some positive results, such as pelvic torsion and kyphotic angle, may provide substantial information for developing future longitudinal studies with large sample sizes.

This study examined the rate of injuries and chronic pain in collegiate water-ski athletes as a preliminary study. We also compared the mechanics and cause of injuries by the level of water-skiing experiences. A total number of 96 collegiate water-ski athletes, aged 21.4 ± 2.23 years, participated in the study. An off-line questionnaire was distributed at the collegiate tournaments in the United States. The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions, including demographic information, body region and type of injuries, mechanics and cause of injuries, chronic pain and pain management. A Chi-squared test was used to examine the differences in injury rates by sex and the level of experiences (beginner: <5 years, intermediate: 5–10 years, advanced: <10 years). The significance level was set at ≤0.05. A total of 336 water skiing-related injuries were observed from 96 participants. The ankle/feet, knee, and head/neck regions were the most common body regions injured, representing 26.5, 16.7, and 15.8%, respectively. Female athletes were more likely to have nerve injuries than male athletes (p = 0.039). The intermediate athletes were more likely to have trunk (p = 0.047) and upper extremity (p = 0.042) injuries than beginner athletes, and the beginner athletes had less joint/ligament (p = 0.001) and bone injury (p = 0.010) compared to the advanced athletes. Torsion/twisting (32.8%) and deceleration (26.9%) were the most common mechanism of injury. Beginner athletes experienced injuries more due to insufficient skill (p = 0.03), while the advanced athletes were likely to have more injuries by the loss of control (p = 0.01). Collegiate athletes had higher rates of chronic pain in the trunk (42.7%) and skeletal muscle (43.8%), and they participated in stretching/exercise (40.8%) and massage/form rolling (29.6%) to manage their chronic pain. The present study revealed that injury rates in males and females were 49.7% and 50.2%, respectively. Female athletes were more likely to have a nerve injury than male athletes. The mechanics and cause of injuries were different by the level of experiences where different training approaches may be required to minimize the injuries. Additionally, the strength and conditioning program that is systematically designed for core strength is needed to eliminate chronic trunk pain in collegiate water-skiing athletes.

Individuals with disabilities who engage in regular physical activity reduce their risk of diseases such as obesity and heart disease, as well as other risk factors; relieve tense emotions, and improve their quality of life via interaction with others. Despite these advantages, only one out of every four Koreans with a disability engages in physical activity. Grit is the ability to maintain interest and effort towards a goal in the face of adversity and failure. Grit can act as an important factor in increasing the psychological level of individuals with disabilities. We investigated the relationship between basic psychological needs, grit, and the quality of life of disabled individuals to determine if physical activities can improve their quality of life. Our dataset included 296 disabled individuals registered with the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. Using structural equation modelling, the direct and indirect effects of grit, quality of life, and psychological needs satisfaction such as competence, relatedness, and autonomy were examined. We found that competence positively affects consistency of interests (β = 0.150, t = 1.854), relatedness positively affects consistency of interests (β = 0.354, t = 4.409), and autonomy has no statistically significant effects (β = 0.101, t = 1.086). Second, competence positively affects perseverance of effort (β = 0.249, t = 3.206), autonomy negatively affects perseverance of effort (β = −0.269, t = −2.880), and relatedness has no statistically significant effects (β = −0.017, t = −0.249). Third, autonomy positively affects quality of life (β = 0.214, t = 2.349) while competence and relatedness had no statistically significant effects (β = −0.018, t = −0.208; β = 0.096, t = 1.288). Fourth, consistency of interests positively affects quality of life (β = 0.312, t = 4.191) while perseverance of effort had no statistically significant effects (β = −0.094, t = −1.480). Fifth, competence was found to have positive indirect effects on quality of life through grit. This study underscores the importance of addressing these three basic psychological needs and elements of grit when designing future quality of life interventions for disabled individuals.

Background: The effects of circuit training was investigated according to the feedback type on the psychological (social anxiety, anxiety, positive emotion) health and physical (body composition, physical fitness) health of social anxiety disorder workers. Methods: Sixty male workers in H Company in Seoul, South Korea with social anxiety disorder were divided into four groups (positive, negative, mixed, no feedback) by conducting a circuit training program in sport center of H company during 3 times per week, total 8 weeks from Feb 1st to Mar 31st, 2017. The results of the pre - test and post - test were analyzed as follows. Results: 1) In effect of social anxiety, there were significant differences in the positive, negative, and mixed feedback groups. 2) In the effect of anxiety, there were significant differences in the positive, negative, and mixed feedback groups. 3) In the effect of positive emotion, there were significant differences in the positive, negative, mixed, and no feedback groups. 4) In the effect of body composition, body fat mass and body fat percentage have significant differences in the positive, negative, mixed, and no feedback groups. And fat free mass has significant differences in the positive and mixed feedback groups. 5) In the effect of physical fitness, grip strength, wall squat, bending forward have significant differences in positive, negative, mixed, and no feedback groups. Conclusion: The circuit training program improves the social anxiety disorder and positively affects the psychological health and physical health of participants. To participate in continuous exercise, personal training should be accompanied by the correct feedback of the leader.

PURPOSE: This review aimed to explore the potential effects of exercise-induced alterations in the gut microbiome and its metabolites on cognitive function and cerebrovascular health, focusing on the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD).METHODS: We used academic search engines, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Wiley Online Library, to gather studies on the gut-brain axis, exercise-induced changes in the gut microbiota, and their impact on cerebrovascular health and AD. Keywords used in the search included ‘gut microbiome,’ ‘cerebrovascular health,’ ‘cognitive function,’ ‘Alzheimer’s disease,’ and ‘exercise.’RESULTS: Exercise-induced modifications in the gut microbiome, particularly an increase in beneficial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), are associated with improved neurovascular function. SCFAs, especially butyrate, exert protective effects on the blood-brain barrier and reduce neuroinflammation. Conversely, metabolites such as trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) contribute to vascular inflammation and cognitive decline. Regular exercise enhances microbiome diversity, promotes a favorable environment for cerebrovascular health, and potentially mitigates the progression of AD.CONCLUSIONS: Exercise-driven improvements in the gut microbiota composition and metabolite production may offer a non-pharmacological approach to prevent cerebrovascular dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases. Future research should focus on identifying the optimal exercise regimens to maximize gut health and cerebrovascular protection.