Physical activity and health of the elderly: the Nakanojo Study

Abstract

Our overall purposes are to develop new methodologies for the study of physical activity and to provide exercise prescription guidelines for the elderly. Since 2000, we have thus been conducting a longitudinal interdisciplinary study on physical activity and health of the elderly in the typical medium-sized residential town of Nakanojo, Gunma Prefecture, central Japan (the Nakanojo Study). Nakanojo is about 150 km northwest of Tokyo. In 2004, it had a population of 17,942 (8,706 men and 9,236 women), 28.6% of whom were aged >65 years (25.3% of men and 31.9% of women).