Investigating breathing and exercise

If you are overweight and find you’re not doing the exercise you would like to, a research student at James Cook University in Cairns would like to hear from you.

Honours student Paula Smrdel is investigating the physical and psychological factors that prevent overweight and obese adults from exercising.

“There are significant public funds invested in encouraging overweight adults to increase their levels of physical activity, but there has been limited research into what factors might be discouraging or preventing those people from getting active,” Ms Smrdel said.

“In particular, I’ll be investigating the effect that the effort of breathing has on the ability to exercise. I’ll also be looking at sleep duration and quality, and well-being.”

To take part you need to be an adult with a Body Mass Index, or BMI, of greater than 27.

The study will involve a group of 30 people undertaking a five-week program aimed at improving exercise performance.

This involves brief home-based breathing training exercise and periodically wearing an activity monitor.

In addition to the home-based training, volunteers will be asked to complete two short walking tasks on two separate days at the beginning and end of the five week period and fill out a questionnaire at the JCU campus in Smithfield.

Participation time for each of the two days is approximately 30 minutes.

All information is confidential and participants will receive a brief overview of the findings.

For more information about the research project please contact Paula Smrdel on 4232 1180.

Issued: June 11, 2014

Media enquiries: Linden Woodward, 07 4232 107, linden.woodward@jcu.edu.au