Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the successive effects over 12 months (before and 4, 8, and 12 months after the start of exercise) of continuous exercise on motor functions and self-efficacy of daily living in 2 groups of elderly females. One group exercised once or less per week (group 1), and the other exercised twice or more per week (group 2). The subjects performed group exercise twice per month at community facilities, and also independently performed exercise using the same program at home. The motor functions were examined by several methods, such as the functional reach test, maximal walking speed, and Timed Up & Go, and the self-efficacy of daily living was evaluated using the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES). The successive changes in these 2 parameters and conditions during each examination were compared between groups 1 and 2. As a result, there were no significant changes in the motor functions of group 1, while, in group 2, the maximal walking speed significantly improved 4 and 12 months after the start of exercise (p<0.05). The comparison of motor functions in the 2 groups demonstrated that the maximal walking speed was significantly higher 12 months after the start of exercise in group 2 than in group 1 (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in successive changes in the self-efficacy of daily living evaluated using the FES over the 12 months between groups 1 and 2, nor were the differences between the examination time points significant. In this study, the maximal walking speed in group 2 improved 4 months after the start of exercise, and the difference was significant 12 months after exercise initiation between groups 1 and 2. These findings suggested that the frequency of exercise is important in health enhancement of the elderly.
