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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to understand the physical fitness of student nurses and the effects of calisthenics intervention.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to comprehend the value of calisthenics programs to increase student nurses' values in the design of community nursing practice courses.
Background. Lifestyle changes and a reduced motivation to do regular exercise result in an increased incidence of chronic diseases and metabolic syndrome within a community. Student nurses usually require more energy to provide health care services within a community practice, so in order to improve their physical vigor, and at the same time arouse an interest in exercise within the community, calisthenics is believed to be an effective method of physical training. The aims of this study is to investigate the effect of calisthenics on the physical fitness of student nurses in community practice.
Methods. A pre-experimental clinical trial was implemented. By using the regulations of the Ministry of Education of Taiwan as a guideline, 139 female and 10 male students that were participating in a one-month nursing practice course in two community health centers in southern Taiwan, were used. The body mass index, sitting posture with the body bent forward (flexibility), bent-knee sit-ups (muscle strength), standing broad jump (starting power), and three minutes step-test (cardiopulmonary endurance) were estimated before, and after the 4-weeks regular fitness training used in this study. For the calisthenics, aerobic gymnastics and Wu Xing (five elements in traditional Chinese medicine) exercise videos were chosen.
Results. The results revealed a significant increase in flexibility and muscle strength. The pulse rate, measured one minute after the completion of the three minutes step-test, reduced significantly. However, no difference in the cardiopulmonary endurance level was noted.
Conclusions. The study indicated that an effective physical fitness intervention strategy in community practice could significantly enhance the fitness levels of student nurses. The type of calisthenics chosen is an essential factor to induce the interests of student nurses and community people to do exercise regularly. Doing calisthenics makes the community nursing practice more interesting and useful in community health care services.
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