Abstract
We surveyed the influence of exercise habits on physical, cognitive and psychological functions in 181 elderly inhabitants in the community, and evaluated their association. Physical, cognitive and psychological functions were compared by analysis of covariance with adjustment for gender and age between 81 subjects with and 100 without exercise habits. Physical functions (such as lower limb muscle strength and walking ability), cognitive functions (such as intellectual function and attentional function), and psychological functions (such as subjective well-being and the degree of satisfaction with life) were significantly better in the group with exercise habits than in the group without. These results suggest an association between regular exercise and health promotion in the elderly. In particular, regular exercise may improve physical functions such as lower limb muscle strength and walking ability and inhibit an age-associated decrease in attentive function, which is useful for the prevention of falling. Regular exercise, which may also have inhibitory effects on the development of dementia and increase the mental health state, is expected to be an effective measure for care prevention.
