The effectiveness of exercise training applied to university students receiving distance education

Our study aimed to examine the effects of exercise training administered via teleconference on physical fitness, physical activity level, quality of life, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in university students during the distance education period. In our study, 44 university students aged 18-25 were randomly divided into two equal groups: the exercise training and control groups. Exercise training including posture exercises, breathing exercises and stabilization exercises was given to the exercise training group for eight weeks, three days a week, via teleconference and under a physiotherapist's supervision. The control group was assessed before and after the study and informed about the importance of exercise with a single interview. The flexibility of individuals has been determined by sit-up, back-scratching, lateral reach tests; muscular endurance of individuals has been selected by sit-ups, push-ups, plank, sit and chair stand tests, the cardiorespiratory capacity of the individuals has been determined by two-minute step test, and balance of the individuals has been selected by flamingo balance test. Physical activity levels of individuals; International Physical Activity Scale, quality of life; SF-36 Quality of Life Scale, anxiety depression levels; The Hospital Anxiety Depression Questionnaire and sleep quality were evaluated with the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. As a result of the study statistically significant improvements were observed in the education group in flexibility, muscular endurance, balance, cardiovascular endurance, physical activity levels, anxiety, depression, quality of life and sleep quality (p<0,05). There was no significant change in other measurement parameters in the control group, except for flamingo balance test measurements (p <0.05). As a result, it is thought that exercise training applied by teleconference method is safe and feasible in university students and these effects should be examined with exercise training with different population and different intensities in future studies. Keywords: University students, teleconference, exercise training, breathing exercise, physical activity