Physical and psychological effects of aerobic exercise in delinquent adolescent males
J. R. MacMahon and R. T. Gross
Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif. 94304.
Aerobic exercise has been associated with improved psychological status and
physical fitness in adults, but its effects in adolescents have been less
clear. This study evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise on the
self-concept, depression level, and physical fitness of juvenile
delinquents. Ninety-eight incarcerated youths who volunteered to
participate were assigned in a blind fashion to one of two exercise
programs lasting three months. Sixty-nine completed all phases of the study
and are the subjects of this report. One exercise program (32 subjects)
emphasized aerobic exercise; the other (37 subjects), limited exertion.
Before and after participating, each subject underwent measurement of
self-concept, mood, and physical fitness. While the aerobic and comparison
groups were initially similar, the data demonstrated an association between
participation in the aerobic exercise program and improved self-concept,
mood, and fitness. Improvement in psychological variables was not dependent
on improved physical fitness and was not related to preintervention
measures.
