Search results for "physical fitne"
showing 10 items of 481 documents
Objectively measured physical activity and physical performance in old age
2017
Abstract Background: Physical performance is a key factor that determines how older people cope with daily tasks and maintain independency. There is strong evidence suggesting that physical activity (PA) is important in maintaining physical performance in old age. However, most studies have been done using self-reported PA. Our aim was to explore the association between objectively measured PA and physical performance in old age. Methods: We studied 695 participants (mean age 70.7 years, SD 2.7) from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. Physical performance was assessed with the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) and PA with a multisensory activity monitor SenseWear Pro 3 Armband. Results: Total volume …
External validity of randomized controlled trials in older adults, a systematic review.
2017
Background To critically assess the external validity of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) it is important to know what older adults have been enrolled in the trials. The aim of this systematic review is to study what proportion of trials specifically designed for older patients report on somatic status, physical and mental functioning, social environment and frailty in the patient characteristics. Methods PubMed was searched for articles published in 2012 and only RCTs were included. Articles were further excluded if not conducted with humans or only secondary analyses were reported. A random sample of 10% was drawn. The current review analyzed this random sample and further selected tri…
Self-reported fitness and objectively measured physical activity profile among older adults : a twin study
2018
Abstract Background Maintaining good fitness and good level of physical activity are important factors for maintaining physical independence later in life. The aim was to investigate the relationship between self-reported fitness and objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior in the elderly. Methods Same-sex twin pairs born 1940–1944 in Finland were invited to the study. Altogether 787 individuals (mean age 72.9 years), of whom 404 were female, used a hip-worn triaxial accelerometer for at least 4 days and answered a question on perceived fitness. First, individual differences were studied between four fitness categories. Second, pairwise differences were examined among t…
Effects of different strength training frequencies on maximum strength, body composition and functional capacity in healthy older individuals
2017
There is controversy in the literature regarding the dose-response relationship of strength training in healthy older participants. The present study determined training frequency effects on maximum strength, muscle mass and functional capacity over 6 months following an initial 3-month preparatory strength training period. One-hundred and six 64–75 year old volunteers were randomly assigned to one of four groups; performing strength training one (EX1), two (EX2), or three (EX3) times per week and a non-training control (CON) group. Whole-body strength training was performed using 2–5 sets and 4–12 repetitions per exercise and 7–9 exercises per session. Before and after the intervention, ma…
Group fitness activities for the elderly: an innovative approach to reduce falls and injuries
2013
Aim The aim of this study was to examine the opportunity to adopt, for the elderly, already validated function ability tests to better understand how to prevent falls and injuries and to better plan group fitness activities like ballroom dance classes (e.g., Valzer, Polka, Mazurka). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Barthel Index (BI) were administered and the occurrence of falls during the previous 2 years was evaluated by anamnesis. One hundred and twenty-two elderly subjects living in Palermo city participated to the study. According to the anamnesis, subjects were divided into two groups: experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). T…
Muscle function and functional ability improves more in community-dwelling older women with a mixed-strength training programme
2005
Supervised training can reach a limited number of elderly people.To determine the impact of a 1-year mixed-strength training programme on muscle function (MF), functional ability (FA) and physical activity (PA).Twice-a-week hospital-based exercise classes and a once-a-week home session.twenty-eight healthy community-dwelling men and women on the training programme and 20 controls aged over 75 years.Training with two multi-gym machines for the lower limbs at 60% of the repetition maximum (1RM). At-home subjects used elastic bands.Maximum isometric strength of knee extensors (KE), ankle plantar flexors (PF), leg extensor power (LEP), functional reach (FR), chair rise 1 (CR1) and 10 times (CR1…
Square-stepping exercise versus strength and balance training for fall risk factors
2008
Background and aims: Feasible and low-cost exercise programmes targeting fall risk factors may decrease the risk of falling in older adults. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of square-stepping exercise (SSE) training, which is a new and low-cost method designed to improve lower-extremity functional fitness, with strength and balance (SB) training. Methods: The study included 39 community-dwelling adults aged 65 to 74 years. The participants were randomized to either group SSE (n=20) or SB (n=19). They engaged in 70-min group exercise sessions twice a week for 12 weeks. The efficacy of the program was measured with both a 9-item test battery for assessment of physical per…
Muscle strength and mobility as predictors of survival in 75-84-year-old people.
1995
The purpose of the study was to examine the association of physical capacity, as determined on the basis of self-report and physical measurements, with survival in three groups of elderly people aged 75, 80 and 75-84 years. The main aspects of physical capacity were mobility, walking speed, hand grip strength and knee extension strength. Although 1142 persons participated in mobility interview, of whom 466 also took part in the walking speed test, and 463 in the strength tests. The follow-up periods ranged from 48 to 58 months. Risk of death was significantly related to difficulties in indoor mobility among the 75-84-year-olds (odds ratio = 1.99, 95% confidence interval = 1.27-3.13) and 75-…
Physical Activity and the Changes in Maximal Isometric Strength in Men and Women from the Age of 75 to 80 Years
1997
OBJECTIVE: To research the natural changes in maximal isometric strength, over a period of 5 years, in men and women aged 75 at baseline, and to study the effect of everyday physical activity on strength alterations. DESIGN: A 5-year longitudinal study. SETTING: Exercise laboratory PARTICIPANTS: The target group in 1989 was the total 75-year-old population of Jyvaskyla. One hundred one men (81%) and 186 women (75%) participated in baseline strength tests, and after 5 years, 55 men and 111 women (70% and 72% of the survivors) took part in the follow-up measurements. METHODS: Maximal isometric hand grip, arm flexion, knee extension, trunk flexion, and trunk extension forces were measured usin…
Leptin concentration and risk of impaired physical function in older adults: the Seniors-ENRICA cohort
2016
This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Age and Ageing following peer review. The version of record Alberto Lana, Ellen Struijk, Pilar Guallar-Castillón, Jose María Martín-Moreno, Fernando Rodríguez Artalejo, Esther Lopez-Garcia; Leptin concentration and risk of impaired physical function in older adults: the Seniors-ENRICA cohort. Age Ageing 45.6 (2016): 819-826 is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1093/ageing/afw142