Grow Strong, Live Long:

 

Fitness Study with Elderly Retirement Home Independent Living Residents - Part 1

 

Robert Simons, Ph.D., CHES, MS

 

Introduction

The prevalence of physical inactivity increases with age. According to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994, American adults physical inactivity rates average 26 percent for ages 45-64, 27 percent at ages 65-74, and 46 percent at ages over 75 years (Christmas, Andersen, 2000). These facts are intuitively obvious despite the myriad of present epidemiological evidence indicating the positive effects of exercise (World Health Organization (WHO) Heidelberg Guidelines, 1997, Roos, 1997). Age-related decreases in mobility caused by joint stiffness, ligament failure, and muscle loss can be slowed and even reversed through regular physical activity (Buckwalter, 1997, Shepard, 1998). As people age as individuals, they become less and less alike. All people age differently.

Knowledge in this field of study, health, fitness, and the aging process, appears to be incomplete in dealing with this expanding segment of the American population. Approximately half of the fitness and health research conducted on the elderly claimed that the predominant trend in research is conducted utilizing the disabled, impaired, or disease afflicted elderly population, while the other half has been conducted utilizing the safer "Masters Competitive Athlete" or exceptionally healthy and functionally independent elderly.

During the past decade however, several studies have established that strength training and cardiovascular training are safe and beneficial activities for adults of all ages (Fiatarone et al., 1990; Butts & Price, 1994; Campbell et al., 1994; Westcott & Guy, 1996).

These studies demonstrated that strength exercise is effective for increasing muscle strength and size in senior men (Frontera et al., 1988), senior women (Nelson et al., 1994), and even nursing home residents (Fiatarone et al., 1994). Other research, much of which was conducted with senior subjects, showed that strength training improved blood lipid profiles (Stone et al., 1982), enhanced glucose utilization (Hurley, 1994), reduced resting blood pressure (Harris & Holly, 1987), increased gastrointestinal transit speed (Koffler et al., 1992), alleviated low back pain (Risch et al., 1993), increased bone mineral density (Menkes et al., 1993), eased arthritic discomfort (Tufts, 1994) and relieved depression (Singh et al., 1997). None of these studies reported any training related injuries.

Based partly on the success of these studies, a strength training protocol and a cardiovascular training protocol was designed for elderly retirement home residents who were essentially non-ambulatory. Our research objectives were to determine how a station-strength training program and a cardiovascular program would affect the residents', muscle strength, joint flexibility, coordination, agility and balance, body composition, and overall functional ability and mobility.

PART 2    PART 3

The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to the Executive Director of the Fountains at Boca Ciega Bay, Mr. Peter Brooks and all the administrators, professional staff, and residents whose leadership, cooperation, and participation made this study a tremendous success. Without the extraordinary vision and sincere desire of Mr Peter Brooks for the improvement in quality of life for so many residents this fitness study would not have been possible. The author also wishes to acknowledge the valuable assistance provided by Katherine Donigan, Susan Wright, and Tammy Makinen.

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