Literature suggests that anxiety affects gait and balance among young adults. However, previous studies using machine learning (ML) have only used gait to identify individuals who report feeling anxious. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify individuals who report feeling anxious at that time using a combination of gait and quiet balance ML. Using a cross-sectional design, participants (n = 88) completed the Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form (POMS-SF) to measure current feelings of anxiety and were then asked to complete a modified Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction in Balance (mCTSIB) and a two-minute walk around a 6 m track while wearing nine APDM mobility sensors. Results from our study finds that Random Forest classifiers had the highest median accuracy rate (75%) and the five top features for identifying anxious individuals were all gait parameters (turn angles, variance in neck, lumbar rotation, lumbar movement in the sagittal plane, and arm movement). Post-hoc analyses suggest that individuals who reported feeling anxious also walked using gait patterns most similar to older individuals who are fearful of falling. Additionally, we find that individuals who are anxious also had less postural stability when they had visual input; however, these individuals had less movement during postural sway when visual input was removed.

Engaging in physical activity (PA), minimizing sitting time and consuming a healthy diet are behaviors associated with health and wellness across the lifespan. The present multi-study analysis examined the relationship between grit and PA, sitting time and dietary behaviors in several populations that included US adults, active-duty military personnel, veterans, college students and performing artists. The four research laboratories administered an internet-based survey between spring and summer of 2020. The common questionnaires on the surveys were the Grit Scale Short Form, International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants Short Form. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between grit, PA, sitting time and dietary behaviors. PA was associated with grit for US adults, civilians and college students but not for performing artists or active-duty military populations. Sitting time was associated with grit for US adults and active-duty military personnel. US adults, college students and performing artists were found to have a positive association between healthy dietary behaviors and grit. Overall, the findings indicate that grit has a positive influence on PA, sitting time and dietary behaviors across the unique populations; however, the relationships indicate some nuanced differences between the populations.

PURPOSE: Chronic physical activity is associated with reduced depression and improved mood. Even acute bouts of exercise have been shown to improve many mood parameters. However, these findings are investigated under controlled laboratory conditions, not the context where most individuals engage in physical activity. Thus, the current study sought to determine whether a group exercise class would lead to acute improvements in mood parameters. METHODS: Subjects recruited from DailyBurn365 class members (n=16, 81% female) consented to participate in the study in compliance with the New York University IRB. Participants completed mood questionnaires, consisting of a modified profile of mood states and state trait anxiety inventory, 10-30 minutes before the exercise class. Polar H7 heart rate (HR) monitors were used during the group exercise class to record average exercise HR over the 30-45minute exercise session. After the exercise, all participants were given a 10-minute recovery period. Following recovery, the participants repeated the mood questionnaires. The participants repeated this process on 2 separate days, at least 1 week apart, allowing us to compare the effects of exercise and the effects of repeated testing using a quasi-experimental design. RESULTS: Sixteen participants successfully completed 2 separate sessions of exercise with both pre and post exercise measurements. There were no differences in the percent HR reserve of exercise for the participants between the two sessions (t=-0.25, p=0.81). In addition, there were no differences reported in pre-exercise mood parameters: depression, hostility, vigor, or stress for day 1 versus day 2 (t=-0.99, p=0.34; t=-1.22, p=0.24; t=-0.15, p=0.88; and t=-0.56, p=0.58 respectively). Following exercise on both days, there were significant improvements in all mood parameters: depression (day1: t=3.

Gait alterations due to fatigue have been evaluated in strenuous jobs like firefighting but less is known about gait changes after less strenuous prolonged activity. PURPOSE: We tested the hypothesis that gait changes would be greater after manual labor tasks performed in the heat (30°C, 50% RH) vs temperate (20°C, 30% RH). METHODS: Fifteen healthy (BMI 23.6 ± 3.0) subjects (9 females) completed two experimental visits of simulated manual labor tasks in an environmental chamber set to either the hot (HT) or temperate (CON) condition. Tasks consisted of 6 rounds of a circuit of brick-laying for ten-minutes, shoveling rubber mulch for five-minutes, and five-minutes of rest for a total of two hours. Gait characteristics were evaluated before and after exertion by the subject walking at a self-selected pace over an instrumented walkway. Walking speed, stride length, right leg single support, swing time, stance time, gait cycle time, double support time and double support percentage were analyzed. Values are reported as mean ± SD. RESULTS: A time x condition interaction was seen for stride length (cm), double support time (sec) and double support percentage. No main effect or interactions were found for walking speed (steps/min) or right single support (sec). Swing time (pre: 0.41±0.03 vs post: 0.40±0.03 sec; p=0.03), stance time (pre: 0.73±0.08 vs post: 0.71±0.07 sec; p=0.02) and gait cycle time (pre: 1.14 ± 0.10 vs post: 1.11 ± 0.09 sec; p=0.01) decreased in the CO trial from pre to post. Heart rate increased between the seated baseline and the end of the sixth round in the HT condition (69±6 vs 137±2; p<0.001) and the CON condition (66±7 vs 127±24; p=0.02) and was greater in the HT condition. Core temperature (Tc) increased in the CON (37.3±0.2 vs 37.8±0.28°C; p<0.001) and HT (37.2±0.3 vs 37.8±0.4°C; p<0.001). No difference in Tc (p=0.53) was found between conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Minor changes in gait were identified after manual labor tasks in CON conditions which were not seen in the HT condition. Greater sympathetic arousal from work in the heat could be masking the changes seen after identical work in cool conditions.

This study aims to determine the association between heart rate and skeletal muscle oxygen saturation (SmO₂) during 30 minutes of self‐paced walking on 4 different days. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant association between heart rate and SmO₂, as increased exercise intensity would result in increased peripheral muscle O₂ consumption and increased heart rate. Participants (age= 18‐40) were recruited from Clarkson University as part of an ongoing larger study and informed consent was signed. Heart rate was measured using a pulse oximeter after every five minute interval of the 30 minute walking period and was recorded in an online survey on surveymonkey.com. The muscle oxygen monitor (MOXY) near infrared sensors were placed on the left and right medial gastrocnemius heads as well as on the left biceps brachii muscle to record SmO₂ levels. Data was analyzed using a bivariate Pearson correlation to determine if there was a significant correlation between SmO₂ and heart rate while walking. Heart rate was negatively associated with SmO₂ in the left medial gastrocnemius head (R= ‐0.139, p= 0.044, n= 211) while there was no significant relationship seen in the right medial gastrocnemius head (p> 0.05). In the left biceps brachii muscle, there was a positive association between heart rate and SmO₂ (R= 0.148, p= 0.035, n= 204). The findings of our study suggest that as walking intensity increases, O₂ consumption in the upper and lower extremities has a weak, but significant association with heart rate. These findings suggest that as blood is shunted from the upper extremity to lower extremity to meet lower extremity demands during walking, O₂ utilization by muscles in the upper extremity is decreased. Further research is needed to elucidate how these relationships change when performing activities that require both upper and lower extremity muscles as well as with varying intensities of exercise.