ABSTRACT
Regular physical activity has been regarded as a possible means to minimize the adverse physiological changes associated with aging, as well as to contribute to mental health and well-being in later life. To encourage increased participation in exercise among elderly people, and to emphasize the value of exercise in geriatric health care, this article provides an overview of the effects of primary care based physical activity on healthy aging. It is clear from the number of recently published papers on this topic that daily participation in 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity should be recommended for elderly people. The results of physical activity interventions focusing on balance and resistance training in both home- and group-based exercises suggest that it is possible to improve physical functions and to prevent falls and disabilities in daily living. Multiple-element interventions (e. g., advice, as well as strategies to increase self-efficacy and motivation, and to eliminate barriers to participation), tailored to individual activity preferences, are likely to be more successful than more prescriptive single-focus interventions. A home-based physical therapy program can successfully enhance the independence of the frail elderly in community dwellings.
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to evaluate effects of long-term swimming training on maximal aerobic capacity and sernm lipid and lipoprotein profile of postmenopausal women. In the first study, 12 swimming-trained postmenopausal women (age: 58±3 yrs, BMI : 22± 2 kg/m<SUP>2</SUP>, training distance : 3.6±1.6 km/wk, mean±SD) were compared cross-sectionally with 50 age-matched untrained women (58±5 yrs, 23±2 kg m<SUP>2</SUP>) . Swimming-trained women had higher maximal oxygen uptake (Vo2max) than untrained (34± 5 vs. 30± 5 ml/kg/min, P<0.05) . Serum total- and HDL-cholesterol (T-C and HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations in swimmers were similar to those in untrained (T-C: 232±23 vs. 220±44 mg/dl, HDL-C : 69±15 vs. 72±17 mg/dl, TG : 83±21 vs. 99±67 mg/dl) . On the other hand, swimmers had higher serum LDL-cholesterol concentrations (LDL-C) than untrained women (161±28 vs. 138±25 mg/dl, P<0.05) . The second study was conducted to test the effects of a 2-year swimming program on Vo2max and serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations of postmenopausal untrained women. After the swimming program 10 trained women (age : 59±7 yrs, BMI : 23±3 kg/m<SUP>2</SUP>, Vo2max : 30± 3 mlikg/min at baseline, training condition : one hour session, frequency: 1.5±0.4 times/week during the program) and 12 untrained women (60± 5 yrs, 23± 3 kg/m<SUP>2</SUP>, 29± 5 ml/kg/min at baseline) were retested. No change in BMI was observed in the two groups. At the 2-year follow-up, the trained women increased Vo2max (34± 5 ml/kg/min, P<0.05), whereas no change in Vo2max was observed in the untrained women (30± 5 ml/kg/min) . No changes occurred in concentrations of T-C (Trained : 238±25 233±21 mg/dl, Untrained : 236±20 236±32mg/dl), HDL-C (Trained : 70 ± 15→74 ± 16 mg/dl, Untrained: 69 ± 15→69 ± 14 mg/dl), LDL-C (Trained : 150 ±29 144±27mg/dl, Untrained : 144±15→145±23mg/dl), and TG (Trained : 90±32 74±25 mg/dl, Untrained : 115±81 106±52mg/dl) . These results suggest that although a long-term swimming program can increase maximal aerobic capacity, favorable changes in sernm lipids or lipoproteins can not be expected for postmenopausal women.