Page 82 - Petelin, Ana, and Šarabon, Nejc. 2018. Eds. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Znanstvena monografija / Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 82
avje starostnikov | health of the elderly 82 Figure 8: Grip strength by a dynamometer (in kilograms)
Discussion
Independent living plays an important role for the elderly, therefore the subjec-
tive factors such as age itself, accessibility and proximity of home, physical ex-
ercising and physical fitness, desire for dealing with certain sport, family sit-
uation and financial situation, have greater influence on sports activities than
objective ones. Fox (1992) states that for people, being active in sport means an
active spending of free time and socializing, where the criterion is primarily
the well-being. In California, a research about the effects on strength and flex-
ibility of 6-week fitness training was made on a small sample of 8 men and 14
women aged from 60 to 79. For each exercise, the participants performed 12 to
15 repetitions using the fitness equipment, before that they did the 20-minute
warm up and the stretching exercises. 15 elderly people of the same age partic-
ipated in the control group. Both groups were tested before and after the ex-
ercising by using Fullerton test battery for measuring functional physical fit-
ness: 6-minute walk, getting up from a chair for 30 seconds, touching of hands
on the back, stand-up and go and grip strength. The control group showed a
substantially lower physical fitness; the testing group showed better results in
grip strength, shoulder flexibility, the number of repetitions of getting up from
a chair, walking speed and stand-up and go (Cavani et al., 2002). Very similar
results were found when we tested our group, as the members of the exercis-
ing group achieved better results in the flexibility of the shoulder girdle, which
was shown in touching hands on the back test; in the strength of the upper ex-
tremities, which was shown in weightlifting sitting for 30 seconds test and grip
strength by the dynamometer test; in the power of the lower extremities, which
was shown in the getting up from a chair for 30 seconds test and in general
endurance, shown in 9 -minute walking test. We have also noticed that dur-
ing the second testing after the end of exercising in 2006/07 and 2011 the mo-
Discussion
Independent living plays an important role for the elderly, therefore the subjec-
tive factors such as age itself, accessibility and proximity of home, physical ex-
ercising and physical fitness, desire for dealing with certain sport, family sit-
uation and financial situation, have greater influence on sports activities than
objective ones. Fox (1992) states that for people, being active in sport means an
active spending of free time and socializing, where the criterion is primarily
the well-being. In California, a research about the effects on strength and flex-
ibility of 6-week fitness training was made on a small sample of 8 men and 14
women aged from 60 to 79. For each exercise, the participants performed 12 to
15 repetitions using the fitness equipment, before that they did the 20-minute
warm up and the stretching exercises. 15 elderly people of the same age partic-
ipated in the control group. Both groups were tested before and after the ex-
ercising by using Fullerton test battery for measuring functional physical fit-
ness: 6-minute walk, getting up from a chair for 30 seconds, touching of hands
on the back, stand-up and go and grip strength. The control group showed a
substantially lower physical fitness; the testing group showed better results in
grip strength, shoulder flexibility, the number of repetitions of getting up from
a chair, walking speed and stand-up and go (Cavani et al., 2002). Very similar
results were found when we tested our group, as the members of the exercis-
ing group achieved better results in the flexibility of the shoulder girdle, which
was shown in touching hands on the back test; in the strength of the upper ex-
tremities, which was shown in weightlifting sitting for 30 seconds test and grip
strength by the dynamometer test; in the power of the lower extremities, which
was shown in the getting up from a chair for 30 seconds test and in general
endurance, shown in 9 -minute walking test. We have also noticed that dur-
ing the second testing after the end of exercising in 2006/07 and 2011 the mo-
