Examination of the Effcts of a Community-Based Physical Exercise Class for Elderly People -Based on the Evaluation of Overall Physical Strength and an Investigation of Factors Underlying the Benefits-

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to verify the benefits of a physical exercise workshop in which we have participated over the past four years in a care preventive project that effectively uses human resources functioning in the community. [Subjects] The subjects were 95 persons (20 men and 75 women, mean age: 77.8±6.1 years) who participated in the exercise class over the 4 years. [Methods] To verify the overall physical benefits of the exercise class, the measurements of subjects' physical strength before and after the exercise were scored, and compared on a total-score basis. In the scoring process, the reference values of physical strength determined from the results of a physical examination performed by the municipal authority were used. To explore factors underlying the benefits of the exercise class, the measurements of subjects' physical strength at the start of the exercise were compared between those with and without physical benefits. [Results] A significant increase in the total score was observed between the pre-and post-exercise class periods. The total score at the start of the exercise class was significantly lower in those with physical benefits, suggesting that the benefits of the exercise were greater in those with low levels of physical strength at the start of the exercise class. [Conclusion] The benefits of the community-based physical exercise class for the elderly were identified. The results suggest that the exercise class could be effectively managed by selecting participants whose physical strength levels were uniformly low.