PhD, Associate Professor J.E. Firileva
Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St. Petersburg

Keywords: adaptive fitness, physical education, adaptive physical education, principles, methods, motor skills reformation.

Introduction. Adaptive fitness can be described as a combination of two fields of physical education: adaptive physical education and fitness (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Main course units constituting adaptive fitness In relation to physical education, adaptive fitness has incorporated objectives, means, methods and organization of physical education lessons as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation for persons with health deviations and (or) physical impairments, as well as orientation towards leading the lifestyle that is suitable for certain historical conditions, maintaining the appropriate quality of life.

As for fitness, adaptive fitness has adopted its innovative tools, methods, forms and technologies of physical exercises designed to maintain and enhance physical capability and health (physical, mental, intellectual, social) for the life quality improvement purposes.

Objective of the study was to substantiate the concept of adaptive fitness and consider the opportunities of its application within health improvement system in the context of post-stroke rehabilitation.

Methods and structure of the study. Application of the adaptive fitness principles in neurology, specifically for persons poststroke, should be based on a gradual rehabilitation phase-by-phase.

The first phase includes the patient’s arrival to the medical institution. At this point, the key steps are considered to be the following: timely hospitalization, prompt healthcare service delivery, accurate and thorough diagnosеiсs, immediate and comprehensive rehabilitation.

The second phase of a patient’s rehabilitation consists in application of general methodological principles reflecting didactic regularities, such as self-awareness, proactive attitude, exemplification, clarity, consistency, etc.

The third phase is characterized by the use of neuromotor rehabilitation principles (introduced by N. Robenesku, 1972):

• Reaching maximal adaptation to one’s malformation or injury patterns. Maximal adaptation serves the purpose of motor functions rehabilitation in the shortest possible period of time, namely the fine and gross motor skills, such as gripping, sitting, standing and moving, by means of avoiding the traditional performance of an exercise. Substituting the usage of the injured muscles by that healthy and similar in function is stimulated and, moreover, fostered and cultivated, therefore, the method of general neuromotor re-education is preferred.
• Preference for physically active daily activities.
• Medical treatment gradation through the increase of physical loading on a certain muscle group during a training session and over a certain period of time (part of the lesson, its content). As for the physical load intensification over a period of time, it is essential that the rules of general recreational training, as well as didactic principles, should be complied with in order to improve blood circulation, respiration, muscular system and, which is most important, to adjust the nervous system to the new sets of movements so it could operate in the optimal and appropriate way.
• Reducing fatigue is a crucial principle of neuromotor rehabilitation. This should be considered in patients with spastic movement disorders since fatigue might become a spasticity aggravating factor.

Distinctive rules of adaptive fitness include: sufficient psychological assistance, motivation improvement, stimulating the patient’s interest to rehabilitation and the body adaptation, emotional and creative aspects of lessons and rehabilitation as a whole, applying innovative therapy techniques (music, dancing, use of images, etc.).

The following groups of methods are considered to be the most constructive and efficient when applied in adaptive fitness: knowledge formation (word choice developing the idea of the program, providing informative examples); compliance with the training and rest regimen; using the method of a strictly regulated exercise, gaming method, competitive method, methods of physical qualities development.

Results and discussion. For the foregoing reasons, it can be concluded that the principles and rules, which should be followed within the adaptive fitness technology application, might be based on all aspects mentioned above. Analysis of the presented principles clearly indicates that they are closely related in its essence up to similarity in terms of details. Basically, these principles represent different facets of the same process, which is indivisible a priori and can be considered as a set of separate principles merely for the purposes of discussion. It follows that none of the described principles can be applied completely without the implementation of the rest of them. It is the integration of these rules and principles that makes every single one of them productive and maximally efficient.

Despite multifaceted complexity of physical exercises and its components, efficiency of its performance depends on the following:

• peculiarities of certain exercises, its difficulty, novelty, emotions of an individual;
• physical load intensity;
• patients’ individual characteristics, age, sex;
• injuries limiting physical activity; status of motor, sensorial, intellectual functions and other indicators.

At the same time, successful application of adaptive fitness in the health improvement system is predicated upon proficiency of the specialists conducting rehabilitation activities.

Education and motor skills reformation consist in acquisition and development of the motor skills and capabilities, which are required in various types of activities, and without which an individual cannot lead a full and active life within society.

Conclusions. Organization of the adaptive fitness lessons for persons who had suffered a stroke should be centered on their sequential rehabilitation and adaptation. Generally, it is recommended to provide individual lessons in large and small groups. 

References

1. Kaptelin A.F. Lechebnaya fizicheskaya kul'tura v sisteme meditsinskoy reabilitatsii: rukovodstvo dlya vrachey (Exercise therapy in medical rehabilitation system: physician's guide) / A.F. Kaptelin, I.P. Lebedeva. – Moscow: Meditsina, 1995. – 397 p.
2. Maznichenko V.D. Dvigatel'nye navyki v sporte: metod. razrabotki k spets. kursu dlya studentov sport. fakul'tetov (Motor skills in sport: method. developments for special course for sport faculty students) / V.D. Maznichenko. – Malakhovka: s.n., 1981. – 47 p.
3. Robenesku N. Neyromotornoe perevospitanie (Neuromotor rehabilitation) / N. Robenesku; transl. from Rom. Dr. S. Duvan. – Bucharest: Medical Publishing House, 1978. – 268 p.
4. Firileva J.E. Adaptivny fitnes v neyromotornoy reabilitatsii cheloveka: monografiya (Adaptive fitness neuromotor rehabilitation in human: a monograph) / J.E. Firileva. – Moscow: Publishing House of Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, 2015. – 250 p.
5. Harre D. Uchenie o trenirovke: vvedenie v obshchuyu metodiku trenirovki (Training Doctrine: introduction to general exercise technique) [Transl. from Germ.] / Ed. by Dr.Hab. D. Harre. [Forew. and ed. by Dr.Hab., prof. L.P. Matveev]. – Moscow: Fizkul'tura i sport, 1971. – 326 p.

Corresponding author: lenafilippova2014@yandex.ru

Abstract

Analysis of the modern trends in the elite biathlon training system designs shows that the training and competitive process missions will be fulfilled within the frame of a prudently designed education and training process with due consideration for the fact that the performance improving work in one competitive exercise (shooting) is always limited by actual motor skills and performance rates in another competitive exercise (that is skiing). Competitive progress in modern biathlon largely depends on the following key factors: ski racing skills; due shooting speed; good timing in a shooting bout; and high accuracy of shots. The high priority given by modern biathlon to the fast and accurate shooting skills dictates the sport studies and theoretical models being focused on the performance rates of the athletes on the shooting line being improved and on the efforts to find an optimal balance of the shooting skills excelling practices over a annual training cycle. The article presents findings of the study and offers a special shooting skills building system that proved efficient in the elite biathletes’ training process.