SOURCE:

Faculty: Education
Department: Human Kinetics And Health Education

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ujuagu, N. A.
Ogu, O. C.

ABSTRACT:

Technological advancement and socio-economic pressure has deprived many women the time and resources to exercise and to engage in physical activities which affect their physical fitness level. Some of our female teachers today live sedentary lifestyle, some are not physically fit enough due to lack of exercise and since they are the pillar of the child’s educational development, their physical fitness level should come up to standard that will help them to execute their duties well. Circuit training exercise which is an important aspect of this study is aimed at improving this standard. This study was designed to determine the effect of circuit training exercise programme on the selected physical fitness variables of female secondary school teachers in Anambra State. Variables such as resting heart rate, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, maximum oxygen uptake, trunk flexibility, muscular endurance and body composition were considered in this study. The study was guided by seven research questions and seven hypotheses – Randomized pretest, posttest control group design were adopted for the study and the population consisted of all the female secondary school teachers in Anambra State. The sample consisted of 60 female teachers from 6 secondary schools in Otuocha educational zone. The schools were selected with purposive sampling technique while the 60 female teachers were selected by simple random sampling technique. The instruments used for data collection are as follows – stethoscope, sphygmomanometer, step bench, measuring tape, slim guide skinfold caliper, stop watch and Gym mats. Eight weeks exercise programme was adopted for the training. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and mean difference for answering the research questions. The null hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study showed that experimental group recorded lower mean scores in resting heart rate (x ̅ = 81.30) and control group of (x ̅ = 86.83), resting systolic pressure (x ̅ = 112.97) for experimental and control (x ̅ = 122.27) and also in resting diastolic pressure. The experimental group also recorded highest mean difference in variables like maximum oxygen uptake, trunk flexibility, muscular endurance and body composition. There were also significant difference between the mean resting heart rate, diastolic and systolic pressure, maximum oxygen uptake, muscular endurance and body composition of the experimental and control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on trunk flexibility. The researcher therefore concluded that eight weeks circuit training exercise programme had an effect on the variables used in the study and recommends that exercise programmes should be introduced in our schools and be seriously upheld by every teacher in the state and from time to time, exercise programmes of this kind should be sponsored by governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to meet up with the standard of teachers required in this era.