LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF REGULAR EXERCISING IN ELDERLY WOMEN
Abstract
The purpose of the research was to evaluate the long-term effects of regular physical activity for elderly women (over 65 years old) on their functional physical fitness. At the beginning, 32 women (69.68 ± 3.83 years) were included into an exercise (experimental) group and 32 women (70.75 ± 3.67 years) into a control group, who were not included into active exercise. The exercise took place at the Rudolf Maister School Centre in Kamnik and lasted for five years. It was performed intensively twice a week for 60 minutes from October 2006 to June 2007 and once a week for 60 minutes from October 2007 to June 2011. The Fullerton test battery was used to measure motor skills related to strength, power, flexibility, balance, endurance, speed and coordination. The first set of measurements for the members of the exercise group was taken in October 2006, the second after 6 months of exercise in July 2007 and the third in July 2011, including 20 women from the same exercise group who were still actively participating after four years. The measurements for the control group were only performed in October 2006 and July 2011, when 17 women from the same control group had their measurements taken again. The results of the Fullerton test battery showed a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in all tests after half a year of adapted exercise; additionally, significant (p < 0.05) progress was also noted in most tests following 4.5 years of exercising. Moreover, the exercise group, in comparison with the control group, also performed significantly (p < 0.001) better in most of the tests. Exercise can have a significant impact on the improvement of the motor skills of the elderly, which may result in the independent performance of all basic hygiene tasks as well as dressing, household and domestic work, shopping and other tasks related to freedom of movement, expansion of living space and an independent and autonomous life without the assistance of others.
References
Berčič, H. (2002). Redno športno-rekreativno udejstvovanje je eden od temeljev uspešnega staranja. Ljubljana: Revija Šport, 50 (2), 26–31.
Burton, L., & Sumukadas, D. (2010). Optimal management of sarcopenia. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 7(5), 217–228.
Cavani, V., Mier, C. M., Musto, A. A., & Tummers, N. (2002). Effects of a 6- week resistance – training program on functional fitness of older adults. Journal of aging and physical activity, 10, 443–452.
Chodzko-Zajko, W. J., & Moore, K. (1996). Physical fitness and cognitive functioning in aging. Exercise and sport science reviews, 22, 195–220.
Chodzko-Zajko, W. J., Schwingel, A., & Park, C. H. (2009). Successful Aging: The Role of Physical Activity. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 3(1), 20–28.
Dobek, J. C., White, K. N., & Gunter, K. B. (2006). The effect of a novel ADL – based training program on performance of activities of daily living and physical fitness. Journal of aging and physical activity, 15, 13–25.
Finkel, T. (2003). A toast to long life. Nature, 425, 132–133.
Fox, K. (1992). The complexities of self - esteem promotion in physical education and sport. In T. I. Williams, L. Almond, & A. Sparkes (Eds.), Sports and physical activity – moving towards excellence (pp. 382–389). London: E & FN Spon.
Fox, K. R., Stathi, A., Mckenna, J., & Davis, M. G. (2007). Physical activity and mental well-being in older people participating in the better ageing project. European journal of applied physiology, 100 (5), 591–602.
Früs, R. H., Nomura, W. L., MA, C. X., & SWAN, J. H. (2003). Socio epidemiology and health - related correlates of walking for exercise among the elderly: Results from the longitudinal study of aging. Journal of aging and physical activity, 11, 54–65.
Hardman, A. E. (1999). Physical activity, obesity and blood lipids. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 23(3), 64–71.
Jakoš, A. (1999). Starejše prebivalstvo v Sloveniji – demografsko stanje in projekcije. Ljubljana: Inštitut za varovanje zdravja RS. Zdravstveno varstvo 38(1/2), 50–53.
Katzmarzyk, P. T., Gledhill, N., & Shephard, R. J. (2000). The economic burden of physical inactivity in Canada. Canadian Medical Association, 11, 163.
Klein, D. A., Stone, W. J., Phillips, W.T., Gangi, J., & Hartman, S. (2002). PNF training and physical function in assisted - living older adults. Journal of aging and physical activity, 10, 476–488.
Krause, M. P., Januário, R. S, Hallage, T., Haile, L., Miculis, C. P., Gama, et al. (2009). A comparison of functional fitness of older Brazilian and American women. Journal of aging and physical activity, 17(3), 387–397.
Kuhar, M. (2007). Sociološki vidik: prevrednotenje staranja in starosti. Retreived July 29th 2009 from: http://www.kapitalskadruzba.si/files/506/kad_zborn ik2007_metka_kuhar.pdf.
Madhavan, S., Burkart, S., Carpenter, G., Read, K., Teckenburg, T., Zwanziger, M., et al. (2005). Influence of age on neuromuscular control of the knee. Journal of Neurological Physical Therapy, 29(4), 190.
Madhavan, S., Burkart, S., Baggett, G., Nelson, K., Teckenburg, T., Zwanziger, M. et al. (2009). Influence of age on neuromuscular control during a dynamic weight-bearing task. Journal of aging and physical activity, 17, 329–343.
Mišigoj–Duraković, M. (2003). Telesna vadba in zdravje. Ljubljana: Zveza društev športnih pedagogov Slovenije, Fakulteta za šport Univerze v Ljubljani, 85–106.
Mlinar, S. (2007). Športna dejavnost in življenjski slog medicinskih sester, zaposlenih v intenzivnih enotah kliničnega centra v Ljubljani. Doktorska disertacija. Ljubljana: Fakulteta za šport Univerze v Ljubljani.
Oražem Grm, B. (2008). Telesna aktivnost – inovativno polje za razvijanje medgeneracijskih programov. Ljubljana: Kakovostna starost, 11(2), 41.
Pendl Žalek, M. (2004). Aktivno življenje – zdravo življenje. Maribor: Založba Rotis.
Pistotnik, B. (2003). Osnove gibanja. Ljubljana: Fakulteta za sport.
Pustavrh, N. (2010). Hrana za možgane. Viva - portal za zdravo življenje. Retreived January 9th 2011 from: http://www.viva.si/Zdrav-na%C4%8Din-prehrane/ 2541/Hrana-za-mo%C5%BEgane.
Rikli, R., & Jones, J. (1999). Development and validation of a functional fitness test for community-residing older adults. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 7(2), 129–162.
Rogers, C., & Keller, C. (2009). Roy’s Adaptation Model To Promote Physical Activity Among Sedentary Older Adults. Geriatric Nursing, 30(2), 21–26.
Rotovnik Kozjek, N. (2011). Šport in zdravje v zrelih letih. Polet. Retreived March 8th 2011 from: http://www.polet.si/maratonec/sport-zdravje-v-zrelih-letih.
Ryan, A. S. (2000). Insulin resistance with aging: effects of diet and exercise. Sports medicine, 30(5), 327–346.
Sasaki, J. (2011). Exercise therapy for prevention of atherosclerosis. Nippon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine, 69(1), 119–124.
Sedej, M. (2009). Izobraževanje starejših v luči trga dela in strategije aktivnega staranja – utemeljitev strategije aktivnega staranja. In Zbornik – 13. andragoški kolokvij Izobraževanje starejših odraslih v letu ustvarjalnosti in inovativnosti. Ljubljana: Ministrstvo za delo, družino in socialne zadeve, Direktorat za trg dela in zaposlovanje (pp. 1–16.) retrieved November 3rd 2013 from: http://tvu.acs.si/datoteke/AK/2009/Prispevek_Sedej.pdf.
Seguin, R. A., Economos, C. D., Palombo, R., Hyatt, R., Kuder, J., & Nelson, M. E. (2010). Strength training and older women: a cross-sectional study examining factors related to exercise adherence. Journal of aging and physical activity, 18(2), 201–218.
SPSS – statistični program (2008). SPSS Inc. Chicago Illinois, ZDA: IBM Corporation.
Strojnik, V. (2009). Vadba za moč pri starejših ljudeh. Postani FIT – Revija za zdravo in aktivno življenje, 2, 14–15.
Timiras, P. S. (1988). Aging and disease. In P. S. Timiras (Ed.), Physiological basis of aging and geriatrics (pp. 27–42). New York: MacMillan Publish. Co.
Tomek-Roksandić, S., & Čulig, J. (Eds.) (2003). Živjeti zdravo aktivno starenje. Zagreb: Centar za gerontologiju Zavoda za javno zdravstvo grada Zagreba, Pliva d. d., Ured za razvoj odnosa s korisnikom.
Tušak, M. (2002). Nekateri psihološki problemi ukvarjanja s športno rekreacijo. V H. Berčič (Ed.), Zbornik 3. slovenskega kongresa športne rekreacije: Otočec, 21.–22. november (pp. 64–65). Ljubljana: Olimpijski komite Slovenije.
Vertot, N. (2008). Prebivalstvo Slovenije se stara – potrebno je medgeneracijsko sožitje. Ljubljana: Statistični urad RS (pp. 15–30). Retreived November 3rd 2013 from: http://www.stat.si/doc/pub/Staranje_prebivalstva_slo.pdf.
Videčnik Zorman, J., & Maraspin Čarman, V. (2010). Okužbe pri starostnikih. Medicinski razgledi, 2(49), 157 – 168. Retreived November 3rd 2013 from: http://www.medrazgl.si/e107_files/public/datoteke/mr10_2_04.pdf.
Wang, J. S. (2006). Exercise prescription and thrombogenesis. Journal of biomedical science, 13(6), 753–761.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Open Access Policy and Copyright
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors grant the publisher commercial rights to produce hardcopy volumes of the journal for sale to libraries and individuals.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
