A Comparison Between Accelerometery Determined Physical Activity And Fitness In Older Adults

Abstract

Even in healthy older adults, chronological aging leads to declines in fitness and functional ability. Regular physical activity may help to attenuate these declines. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between daily physical activity (PA) and the performance on fitness tests in older adults. METHODS: Twenty-two females (68.4 ± 9.5 yr) and 11 males (61.7 ± 6.7 yr) were recruited from the community. Each participant completed six tests from the Senior Fitness Test (Rikli & Jones, 2001): one trial each of the Chair Stand (CS), Arm Curl (AC), and 6-Minute Walk (6-Min), two trials of the 8-Foot Up-and-Go (8-Ft), and three trials each of the Chair Sit-and-Reach (SR) and Back Scratch (BSC). Following the fitness tests, participants were provided with an accelerometer and instructed to wear it for 14 days without changing their normal daily activity. Accelerometer data were downloaded utilizing company provided software. Differences between sexes were assessed with t-tests. Due to sample size, Pearson correlations were determined for all subjects between accelerometer data (number of daily steps, daily moderate to vigorous activity (min) [MVPA]) and fitness test results. RESULTS: There were significant differences between men and women on the BSC (males: -4.05 ± 6.36 in., females: -0.4783 ± 3.26 in.) and the 6-Min (males: 666.35 ± 108.74 yd., females: 550.70 ± 138.59 yd.) tests. Daily steps were highly correlated (p < 0.01) with MVPA minutes (r =.779) and performance on the CS (r =.519) and 6-Min (r = -.600). MVPA minutes were correlated (p < 0.05) with the 6-Min (r =.490). The 8-Ft was highly negatively correlated (p < 0.01) with daily steps (r = -.600), MVPA (r = -.439), CS (r = -.717), and 6-Min (r = -.877), and correlated (p < 0.05) with SR (r = -.364). CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant relationship between level of physical activity, as measured by accelerometry, and numerous components of fitness in older adults. Relationships between mobility related tasks and physical activity level were particularly notable. These findings suggest that individuals who are more physically fit will be able to maintain a more independent lifestyle.