The psychosocial impact of exercising with epilepsy: A narrative analysis.

Research has presented the benefits of and barriers to exercise for people with epilepsy through quantitative means. However, individual experiences through qualitative investigations have been absent. This research will present the narratives of people with epilepsy exercising over time and, as a result, develop further understanding of the psychosocial impact of exercising with epilepsy. Four interviews were conducted over the course of one year (one every three to four months) with four participants (aged 23-38years) who varied in seizure type and control (16 interviews in total). A narrative analysis was used to analyze their exercise experiences. Results showed that exercise creates a positive effect on psychological and physical well-being. However, prevention from exercise as a result of medical advice or recurrent seizures can create negative effects such as social isolation, anxiety, lack of confidence, frustration, and anger. Adaptations of decreasing exercise intensity level and partaking in different physical activities are techniques used to lessen the negative impact and maintain an exercise routine. Time was shown to be an important factor in this adaptation as well as portrayed the cyclical responses of negative and positive emotions in regard to their exercise life. These findings provide valuable insight into the psychosocial benefits of and barriers to exercising with epilepsy and draw attention to the individual differences in how a person with epilepsy copes with uncontrolled seizures and their impact on his/her exercise routine. This knowledge can lead to future research in exploring how a person with epilepsy can overcome these barriers to exercise and encourage more people with epilepsy to enjoy the benefits of exercise.

Physiological and psychological responses to a 12-week BodyBalance training programme.

BodyBalance is a popular mind-body program practised at numerous leisure centres throughout the western world that makes many unsubstantiated claims as to the benefits of participation. This study examines physiological and psychological responses in adults, aged (mean+/-S.D.) 43.9+/-10.9 years, to a 12-week 'BodyBalance' exercise program. An exercise intervention group (n=17) undertook three 1-h classes, each week for 12 consecutive weeks while the control group (n=17) attended three 90-min 'health lectures'. ANCOVA demonstrated significant differences between the control and exercise groups in body mass, skinfold measures, total girth circumference from six sites, maximal isometric back strength, five measures of flexibility and state anxiety. Post-hoc tests on the experimental group data showed body fat decreased significantly by 1.10+/-1.02% (t=4.44; P<0.01), girth by 4.40+/-5.80cm (t=3.13; P<0.01) and back strength increased by 17.12+/-15.39kgf (t=-4.59; P<0.01). Flexibility was also significantly enhanced with performance of the modified sit-and-reach test increasing by 5.90+/-2.56cm (t=-9.50; P<0.01), hip flexion by 9.84+/-8.41 degrees (t=-4.82; P<0.01), hip extension by 7.65+/-4.48 degrees (t=-7.04; P<0.01), hip abduction by 10.00+/-4.91 degrees (t=-8.40; P<0.01) and lateral trunk flexion by 3.06+/-5.72 degrees (t=-2.21; P<0.05). Finally, state-anxiety (STAI) was significantly reduced intra-class at weeks 1, 6 and 12 by 9.24+/-9.46 (t=4.02; P<0.01), 6.59+/-6.26 (t=4.34; P<0.01) and 7.18+/-5.50 (t=5.38; P<0.01), respectively. The findings of this study suggest mind-body exercise programs like BodyBalance could significantly benefit state-anxiety as well as strength, flexibility, and anthropometry around the trunk.