Physiological and Psychological Effects of Walking on a Golf Course on the Elderly Living in the Community

－ A Comparison with Walking in a Residential Area －

Abstract

We examined whether walking on a golf course is effective in reducing stress for elderly residents in the community who have a regular walking habit. A total of 10 subjects（5 males and 5 females, 73.7 ±4.4 years old/65-81 years old）were included in the study. The subjects walked for about 2 hours on a 3-km course in a mountain golf course（elevation difference: about 30 m）and a residential area（elevation difference: about 5 m）, and salivary amylase activity and POMS, a mood profile scale, were measured before and after the walk. Salivary amylase activity in women significantly decreased after walking on the golf course. As for POMS, TA（tension/anxiety）, AH（anger/hostility）, and TMD（total mood disturbance/negative mood state）were significantly decreased after walking on the golf course. The POMS analysis suggests that walking on a golf course reduces stress more than walking in a residential area.