Effect of a Combined Exercise Program on Balance and Respiratory Fitness of Active Older Men

With aging, muscle strength decreases, and older people try to stay healthy as much as possible while maintaining their independence. Regular exercise is needed to control and delay the negative effects of aging. This study aims to investigate the effect of a combined exercise program on balance and respiratory fitness of active older men.

In this quasi-experimental study, 40 active older men (Mean age= 62±12.74 years) participated who were selected by a convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into control and exercise groups. Their balance and respiratory readiness were measured using a static balance gauge and spirometry test, respectively before and after the intervention. The exercise group participated in combined exercise program (aerobic, resistance, and balance exercises) for eight weeks, three sessions per week, each for 60 minutes. The control group continued to perform their daily activities during this period. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software version 22 using paired t-test and independent t-test. The significance level was set at 0.05.

The combined exercise program had a significant effect on improving static balance in both groups (P=0.002), but not on forced vital capacity (P>0.05). Regarding the forced expiratory volume over 1 second, its effect was significant only in the exercise group (P<0.05).

It seems that the combined exercise program can improve static balance and respiratory fitness of older men. It is suggested that the older men use this combined exercise program to increase their balance and respiratory fitness.