The effect of a body-weight exercise program on walking speed in the elderly and contribution of physical characteristics

Abstract

Walking speed helps predict longevity. Several exercises, especially for elderly people, aim at improving walking ability; nevertheless, there are only a few reports of body-weight exercise programs. People who exercise utilize their body as load, and various factors may affect the results. Body composition is one of these factors that is easy to measure at home. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a body-weight exercise program on walking speed in the elderly and the contribution of physical characteristics. Twenty people aged >65 years were divided into two groups (control and exercise). In one subject, the post-intervention measurement could not be scheduled at the same measurement day as for the other subjects; therefore, his data were excluded. The exercise group participated in a 6-week training program composed of body-weight exercises focusing on the lower extremity in a 10.5-week experiment period. The maximum-walking speed (MWS) was compared before and after the intervention. Multi-regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between % change in MWS and % change in factors such as age, body weight, percent-body fat (% BF), upper-body skeletal muscle index (UBSMI), lower-body skeletal muscle index (LBSMI), and broad jump (BJ). The results showed a significant decrease in MWS in the control group but no significant change was found in the exercise group. There was a significant relationship between % change in MWS and % change in %BF in the exercise group and between % change in MWS and % change in age, %BF, UBSMI, LBSMI, and BJ in the control group. These results suggest that the body-weight training program was effective at preventing reduction in MWS and that the changes in physical characteristics may affect the change in MWS in the elderly.