THE EFFECT OF THE DIFFERENT ACUTE EXERCISE MODES ON STATE ANXIETY IN THE JAPANESE ELDERLY

Abstract

664 The effects of an acute exercise on state anxiety is well established. There is, however, limited research focusing on the elderly population and effectiveness of different exercise modes on state anxiety. Recently, well-rounded exercise program and water exercise are recommended for the elderly. Consequently, this study examined acute water exercise and hydraulic circuit training program, which is considered well-rounded exercise, on state anxiety. Forty-six (males=16; females=30) healthy subjects (60-84 yrs) were recruited and randomly assigned to either water exercise group (n=23) or hydraulic circuit training (n=23). The self-reported anxiety measure (STAI) was used to assess state anxiety before exercise and immediately after exercise. Subjects in the water exercise performed 60 minutes of exercise consisting of brisk walking, rhythmic dance and resistance training. The hydraulic circuit training contains 20 exercise stations including ten hydraulic machines and ten rhythmic dance stations. The average heart rates in participant were ranged from 100 beats to 120 beats per minute associated with his or her lactate threshold level. Results revealed that water exercise and hydraulic circuit training were equally effective in reducing state anxiety. Specifically, both groups had significantly (p<.001) lower anxiety levels after exercise. The data demonstrate that the elderly participating in both exercise groups can dramatically reduce state anxiety after exercise and suggest that these exercise modes might be a suitable for the elderly population.