Abstract
[Purpose] We investigated the effect of an exercise intervention for the elderly living in a mountainous area. [Subjects] The exercise group comprised 20 persons (average age, 70.6±6.4), and the control group comprised 11 persons (average age, 73.1±5.6), all of whom lived in a mountainous area. [Method] The exercise group attended an exercise class for 3 months. We measured physical strength and body sway, and performed the Japanese version of the short-form profile of mood states (SF-POMS) for both groups, both before and after the exercise classes. We also distributed a lifestyle recorder, and measured the amount of physical activity during the period of the exercise classes. [Results] After the exercise classes, the exercise group showed more items of improvement in physical strength, body sway, and SF-POMS, than the control group. [Conclusion] The exercise classes were effective at improving the physical and mental health of subjects living in a mountainous region.
