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Walking with its training effects on the fitness and activity patterns of 79–91 year old females
Author(s) -
Hamdorf P. A.,
Penhall R. K.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0004-8291
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1999.tb01584.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiorespiratory fitness , physical therapy , aerobic exercise , psychosocial , randomized controlled trial , physical activity , psychiatry
Background : Information is lacking about the physiological and psychosocial effects of exercise among very old persons. Aim : To investigate the effect of a twice‐weekly, six‐month progressive walking programme on 38 healthy women in their ninth decade, for evidence of the benefits of exercise. Methods : Aerobic fitness, blood pressure, skinfold thickness and habitual activity patterns were studied in a randomised controlled trial. Women were chosen, as this is a group of increasing demographic importance for which studies are lacking. Results : The training group and control group were not significantly different at baseline. However, after six months of progressive exercise the training group showed lower resting ( p <0.05) and working ( p <0.005) heart rates compared with non‐exercising controls. ANCOVA analyses indicated higher scores for the training group compared with the control group for Maximum Current Activity and Normative Impairment Index (both p <0.001), which are both components of the Habitual Activity Profile. Morale also significantly improved within the training group ( p <0.01). Conclusions : These data show the trainability of very old women and the positive impact a low frequency, progressive exercise programme can have on cardiorespiratory fitness and daily living activity patterns. Such improvements are likely to be indicative of an enhanced outlook for independence.