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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Digit. Health
Sec. Connected Health
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1496196

Fitness and Psychological effects of tele-exercise in healthy populations. Preliminary study

Provisionally accepted
Alberto Fucarino Alberto Fucarino 1Giovanna Zimatore Giovanna Zimatore 1Antonio Fabbrizio Antonio Fabbrizio 1Nuno D. Garrido Nuno D. Garrido 2Victor M. Reis Victor M. Reis 2José V. Alves José V. Alves 2Martina Sausa Martina Sausa 1Barbara Matteo Barbara Matteo 1Rafael Peixoto Rafael Peixoto 2Paulina Perušina Paulina Perušina 3Aleksandra Aristova Aleksandra Aristova 4Andrea De Giorgio Andrea De Giorgio 1Carlo Baldari Carlo Baldari 1Filippo Macaluso Filippo Macaluso 5*Enzo Iuliano Enzo Iuliano 1Manuela E. Cantoia Manuela E. Cantoia 1
  • 1 Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of eCampus, Novedrate, Italy
  • 2 Research Centre in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
  • 3 University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Croatia
  • 4 Latvian Academy of Sports Education, Riga, Riga, Latvia
  • 5 Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Sicily, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The study investigates the impact of tele-exercise on physical fitness and psychological well-being in healthy individuals. Tele-exercise, facilitated by technology, offers a flexible and accessible alternative to traditional exercise, particularly beneficial during restricted inperson interactions. Methods: In this study, 52 participants were divided into three groups: athletes, women, and young adults. They took part in an eight-week tele-exercise program, either synchronously or asynchronously. Physical fitness was evaluated using tests such as the 2-MinuteStep and Curl Up Test, while psychological well-being was assessed using the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Results: Significant improvements in physical fitness and psychological well-being were observed in post-intervention across all groups, regardless of training mode. In the fitness tests, a significant improvement was obtained in the 2-Minute-Step (p=0.004), in the curls up (p=0.017), and in squats test (p=0.004). In the forward bending test, the increment was very close to the significance (p=0.051). In the psychological wellbeing tests, both PGWBI and WHO-5 scores increased after the training (p=0.024 and p=0.001 respectively) with no significant change in the PSS-10 score. The study found that tele-exercise can effectively introduce physical activity to previously inactive individuals and motivate them to adopt healthier lifestyle behaviors. Conclusions: The TELEexe4ALL project demonstrates the potential of tele-exercise to improve physical fitness and psychological well-being. The study suggests that teleexercise is a feasible and well-accepted approach for enhancing overall wellness in healthy populations.

    Keywords: Tele-exercise, Physical Fitness, psychological well-being, Healthy populations, Lifestyle behaviors

    Received: 13 Sep 2024; Accepted: 11 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Fucarino, Zimatore, Fabbrizio, Garrido, Reis, Alves, Sausa, Matteo, Peixoto, Perušina, Aristova, De Giorgio, Baldari, Macaluso, Iuliano and Cantoia. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Filippo Macaluso, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, 90127, Sicily, Italy

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.