PhD, Associate Professor M.Kh. Khaupshev¹
M.M. Kirzhinov¹
A.M. Soblirov¹
PhD, Associate Professor E.B. Yakhutlova^2
1Berbekov Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU), Nalchik
²Kokov Kabardino-Balkarian State Agricultural University (KBSAU), Nalchik

 

Keywords: student, health, healthy lifestyle, recreational activity, natural environment.

 

Introduction. Physical recreation practices in natural environments in application to student youth are aimed at their harmonious physical development, restoration of their physical and mental strength; cultivation of an aesthetic taste for active forms of tourism; development of their physical qualities, sensory systems and mental functions; support of outdoor activities, body tempering practices, healthy lifestyle skill consolidation [1, 4, 8]. In the light of the views expressed by experts, we coined the term "motor recreation" as an expanded reproduction and restoration of physical and mental strength by means of motor activity, during tourist activities in natural environments [1-4, 8].

Therefore, motor recreation is a part of physical education, the whole of free, unregulated motor activities aimed to ensure the optimal physical condition of students that would contribute to the normal functioning of their body. All recreational effects will certainly make up a new quality that will determine the high standards of living and learning activities of students [1, 4, 8].

We assume that active forms of tourism in natural environments provoke significant physiological changes in functioning of the main bodily systems studied, and may have a positive effect on the efficiency of the students’ educational, sports and labor activities.

Objective of the study was to improve the university students’ physical recreational activity as the most efficient method of their health protection.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study purposes were the 1st-2nd-year students (n=67) of Berbekov Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU) and Kokov Kabardino-Balkarian State Agricultural University (KBSAU), Nalchik, Russia. The physical recreation model dominated by the 4-6-hour weekend trekking tours was tested in the Nalchik suburbs to complement two elective academic sport practices [2, 4].

The subjects (n=67, including 34 females and 27 males) were not diagnosed with any significant health disorders, neither they had contraindications to active movements in the middle altitude conditions. The students were divided into two groups: Experimental (EG) and Reference (RG). A total of 35 weekend trekking tours in natural environments were conducted. The overall time spent outdoors doing active movements amounted to 140-180 hours.

During the recreational activities, 3 tests (initial, current and final) were carried out with the 3-month interval to study the students’ heart rate (HR), vital capacity (VC), and respiratory rate (RR) indices.  The data obtained were processed using the author’s software application "Physical health monitoring" (certified by Patent #2014661453) [5, 6].

Results and discussion. The students’ functional fitness indices and physical working capacity rates are presented in Table 1.

 

Table 1. Students’ functional fitness indices and working capacity rates

 

The analysis of the study data validated our hypothesis stating that the students’ cardiovascular and respiratory indices correlate significantly (R=0.635-0.755) with their physical working capacity rates.

The dynamics of changes in the subjects’ test rates points to the importance of adaptive reorganization of these functions to the students' working capacity, both while participating in sports and tourist events, and during their learning activities. This indicates the high efficiency of the means and methods of active forms of tourism in the formation and preservation of students’ health, as well as enhancement of their functional abilities.

Conclusions. A weekend trekking tour is an interesting and fascinating leisure activity that promotes students’ health. We recommend the weekend trekking tours being implemented in the students’ educational activities as an additional and independent type of physical activity to complement two compulsory physical education classes. Active forms of tourism for students’ should include trekking tours along the marked routes allowing for physical load control and self-control of HR, VC and RR.

 

References

1. Akhmetshin A.M. Turizm kak metod reabilitatsii i ozdorovleniya invalidov i pozhilykh lyudey [Tourism as a method of rehabilitation and health improvement of disabled and elderly people]. Ufa: Center for Medical and Psychological Rehabilitation of the BRO WAI publ., 2000, 69 p.

2. Bal'sevich V.K., Lubysheva L.I., Komkov A.G., Shelkov O.M. Innovatsionnye tekhnologii modernizatsii fizicheskogo vospitaniya shkolnikov. Sportivno-orientirovannoe fizicheskoe vospitanie uchaschikhsya obscheobrazovatelnykh shkol [Innovative technologies of modernization of school physical education. Sports-oriented physical education of general education school students] . St. Peterburg: SPbSRIPC publ., 2006, 72 p.

3. Bulich E.G., Muravov I.V. Zdorovye cheloveka: Biologicheskaya osnova zhiznedeyatelnosti i dvigatelnaya aktivnost v ee stimulyatsii [Human health: Biological basis of vital activity and motor activity in its stimulation]. Kiev: Olimpiyskaya liter. publ., 2003, 424 p.

4. Vydrin V.M., Jumaev A.D. Fizicheskaya rekreatsiya - vid fizicheskoy kultury [Physical recreation as kind of physical culture]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 1989, no. 3, pp. 2-3.

5. Gavrilov D.N. Osobennosti monitoringa fizicheskogo sostoyaniya naseleniya [Features of monitoring of physical condition of population]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2006, no. 3, pp. 60-62.

6. Landa B.Kh. Metodika kompleksnoy otsenki fizicheskogo razvitiya i fizicheskoy podgotovlennosti. Ucheb. posobie [Methods for integrated assessment of physical development and physical fitness: Study guide]. Moscow: Sovetskiy sport publ., 2006, 208 p.

7. Orlov V.A., Fetisov O.B. Fizicheskaya kultura i rezervy zdorovya cheloveka [Physical education and human health reserves]. Moscow: International University in Moscow publ., 2005, 118 p.

8. Fedotov Y.N., Vostokov I.E. Sportivno-ozdorovitelny turizm [Sport-health tourism]. Moscow: Sovetskiy sport publ., 2006, 364 p.

 

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Abstract

Objective of the study was to find and test the most efficient methods and tools for the university students’ health protection by physical recreation service in natural environments, with the 1-2-year students of the Republican universities sampled for the study. The study data including the physicality and functionality test rates were obtained using an integrated physical health monitoring method (certified by Patent #2014661453). The 1-2-year students (n=67) of Berbekov Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU) and Kokov Kabardino-Balkarian State Agricultural University (KBSAU) were sampled for the study purposes. The physical recreation model dominated by the 4-6-hour weekend trekking tours was tested in the Nalchik suburbs to complement the elective academic sport practices. The study data showed the active trekking practices in natural environments being of significant highly positive (р<0.05) effect on the cardiovascular and respiratory functions including HRV, VC and AP and working capacity assessed by S.P. Letunov’s tests. The positive changes in the sample functionality rates were found to improve the academic and sport progress in the sample. Based on the study data and analysis, we recommend the weekend trekking tours being implemented in the academic off-class physical education programs to complement the traditional physical education service.