Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
Academic incentives for students can increase participation in and effectiveness of a physical activity program
Julie DeVahl1, Richard King, Jon W Williamson
1Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA.
Abstract:
The authors sought to determine whether a greater academic incentive would improve the effectiveness and student adherence to a 12-week voluntary exercise program designed to decrease students' percentage of body fat. They randomly assigned 210 students to 1 of 2 groups with different academic reward structures. The group with the greater reward structure showed better exercise adherence and lost more body fat than those without the additional incentive. These findings suggest that an academic incentive can increase overall student adherence to a voluntary exercise program and can boost the effectiveness of the program in a university environment. The findings also have potential implications for on-campus promotion of physical activity.
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be met...
Inclusive Fitness
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results from...
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...
