PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL OF FIRSTYEAR STUDENTS FROM JOZEF PILSUDSKI UNIVERSITY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN WARSAW
Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of declared physical activity of first-year students from Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw by using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The paper presents physical activity according to the students’ chosen degree course and sex. The study also analyzes physical activity in relation to the BMI index according to the classification by the World Health Organization (WHO). Basic procedures: The group of participants comprised 190 Physical Education (n = 115) and Sports (n = 75) students. The study was conducted in November 2015 and used the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Main findings: The results of the present study showed that the physical education students were characterized by a higher level of physical activity in each discussed type of physical activity than their peers studying sports. The study also revealed that the women showed greater physical activity than the men. It was only in vigorous-intensity physical activity that the men obtained higher results than the women. Conclusions: The male first-year students of the University of Physical Education in Warsaw prefer vigorous-intensity physical activity, and the female students prefer both moderate-intensity activities and walking. With the development of sports infrastructure and the growing number of sports services, women have become more physically active and achieve results rivaling, or at times, surpassing the results obtained by men.