Effects of a Regular Home Program Exercise to Improve Physical Fitness in Elderly People at Samutsongkhram Province

Abstract

Elderly People are increasing every year. Good health from promotion and prevention is better than treatment and rehabilitation. Good health make independent and good functional mobility, long live, no disability and save the government budget. The objective of this study was to evaluated physical fitness of elderly people who had regular exercise compared with those without regular exercise. The study outcomes should be useful for developing ptogram to promote physical fitness in the elderly. It was conducted as a case-control study. Eighty-eight elderly who were members of the elderly club of Phra Phutthlertla Hospital, Samutsongkhram Province were enrolled in the study. They were divided into 2 groups: 44 for the experimental group and 44 for the control. All of them did not have physical conditions that prevent them from participating the study. They were assessed for physical fitness using the applied senior fitness test which was comprised of 5 components as follow: (1) 30-second chair standing-up test, (2) 30-second arm curl test, (3) 2-minute step test, (4) chair sit and reach test, and (5) back scratch test. The elderly with low testing score were subsequently advised to perform home exercise to improve physical fitness. For the elderly in the experimental group, they were trained by group exercise for 30 minutes once a month for 6 months, followed by 30-minute home exercise daily. Both groups were followed-up to assess the physical fitness at the end of the 6-month period. It was found that the experimental group had significant improvement of physical fitness (p<0.05); whereas non-significant increase in fitness was observed in the control group. Therefore, there is a need to improve physical fitness in the elderly through some forms of regular exercise which include stretching of upper extremity, upper back muscle and strengthening exercise of the lower extremity.