Abstract
Background: Older people including ex-servicemen (ESM) in India are left to fend for themselves due to nuclear family system. Most children are not staying with them due to reasons such as acquiring of education or employment at distant places. These factors, coupled with deteriorating health with advancing age, change in value system and attitude amongst children who give more importance to materialism, it was felt necessary to find modalities to empower and strengthen ESM by available methods of including progressive weight training, yoga and meditation. Methods: An interventional “Before and After” study was planned for a period of three months for in-patient ESM of a military hospital for common lifestyle diseases namely stroke, diabetes, senile depression, acute myocardial infarction and hypertension. Data of anthropometry, laboratory investigations and Hamilton rating scale for depression (HRSD) were taken before the study. These cases were then subjected to interventions (progressive weight training and spiritual health enhancement by yoga with meditation for three months) followed by same measurements again. Result: Statistically significant differences were observed before and after study with respect to pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and Hamilton depression score (p<0.05). The sleep pattern, sense of well being and posture while sitting to standing and walking with degree of support (stick/other person's help) improved considerably after the interventions. Conclusion: ESM are recommended to be trained much before retirement on progressive weight training and yoga in regimental centre/station institute. Provision to be made in existing ex-servicemen contributory health scheme (ECHS) polyclinics for employment of part time trainers for weight training and yoga. The physical and spiritual strengthening results in better capability to deal with old age and its problems.
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