Water Exercise Program Research Articles

Evaluation of a Long‐term Water Exercise Program for the Elderly: Focusing on Balance

Book reviews in this article:Objective: The purpose of this project was to examine how postural control and balance, which are important to the upkeep of normal physical functioning in the elderly, may be maintained or improved by long‐term water exercise classes. It was hypothesised that hydrotherapy exercise once a week would be shown to positively effect measures of balance, postural control, functional mobility and flexibility in the exercising group when compared to a non‐exercising group.Method: This study comprised two groups. The first group was made up of a convenience sample of 19 subjects all over the age of 70 years, who had been undertaking water exercise sessions run by a Physiotherapist in a heated pool for one hour each week for a minimum of twelve months. The second group was a comparable group consisting of people of the same age, gender, pathology, medication intake and living arrangements who did not undertake any form of exercise above normal activities of daily living. The mean age of the subjects was 80 years and 10 months (SD 6.81 years) and ranged from 70 to 92 years.Measurements included: functional reach tests with the right and left arms, functional step testing using the right and left leg, the timed ‘up and go’ and right and left ankle dorsiflexion range.Results: The water exercise group performed significantly better on all four tests at a significance level of ≥ 0.05. Significant results of correlations with age of all tests except timed ‘up and go’ within the non‐exercising subject group and not the water exercise group highlighted the potential of water exercise to prevent or perhaps reverse the effects of ageing on balance.Conclusions: This data strongly supports the theory that long‐term water exercise classes do positively affect a person's flexibility, mobility and ability to maintain postural control. In turn this is likely to assist their functional status and hence, improve their quality of life.

EFFECTS OF AN AQUATIC EXERCISE PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE OF OLDER FEMALES WITH ARTHRITIS

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 12-week water exercise program on several physical performance variables of older females with arthritis, compared with non-exercising controls. The arthritis group consisted of nineteen older females (age = 64.8 yr.) recruited for a pool arthritis exercise program, while the control group consisted of nine (age = 60.8) non-exercising females with arthritis. Pretest data for each of these subjects was collected prior to participation in the arthritis exercise program and consisted of: age, height, weight, sit and reach, side bend flexibility, shoulder rotation flexibility, arm curls, grip strength, one foot balance, sit to stand and walk, and six minute walk. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare mean pretest and posttest measurements between the two groups, and a significance level of p < .05 was used. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine the significance of the differences between pretest and posttest scores for each group. In comparing the pretest scores, there was no difference in age or height, while weight and BMI were substantially greater in the exercise group. The exercise group had significantly poorer sit to stand and walk scores, and somewhat lower scores on the one foot balance. There were no differences in the remainder of the initial performance scores between the two groups. Comparison of the pretest and posttest scores indicated that grip strength, number of arm curls, and one foot balance improved significantly in the exercise group, while there were no corresponding improvements in the performance of the control group. In conclusion, there were improvements in several aspects of the physical performance of arthritic subjects following a 12-week exercise program, suggesting that strength and balance were specifically improved. Other performance variables related to cardiovascular fitness and flexibility were not found to improve following 12 weeks of this program.

高齢者を対象とした12週間にわたる水中運動による心理的・身体的効果 : 量的・質的アプローチを用いた多面的分析

高齢者を対象とした12週間にわたる水中運動による心理的・身体的効果 : 量的・質的アプローチを用いた多面的分析

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

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.

Effects of a water exercise program for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis

The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of a water exercise program on the functional capacity of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thirty‐four subjects, classified functional class I or II RA, were randomly divided into an experimental (18) and control group (16) after a controlled minimization crossover procedure. The experimental group trained twice a week for 12 weeks in a water exercise program that emphasized muscle strength activity while the control group engaged in normal daily activity. Estimated aerobic power (VO2), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), muscle strength and endurance, and joint mobility were measured before and after the program. The results indicated that no significant change took place in estimated VO2 or in RPE. Muscle strength and endurance and joint mobility were grouped into two new variables. An ANOVA revealed significant muscle strength improvement (p ≤ 0.001) and joint mobility improvement (p ≤ 0.05). The findings suggest that individuals with RA ben...

Arthritis water exercise program evaluation. A self‐assessment survey

Arthritis water exercise program evaluation. A self‐assessment survey

Women, subjective depression, and water exercise.

Nearly one fourth (N = 21) of the women participants of a water exercise program (N = 88) reported feeling depressed at the time of enrollment. All the depressed women reported improvement after 8 weeks or more in the program. The subjectively depressed participants differed significantly from other class members in physical problems, lifestyle habits, and emotional concerns they hoped to address and in motivation, perceived helpful conversation with peers, and learning from the classes. Subjective symptoms are discussed in light of current information on depressive disorders. The findings contributed to the growing body of research linking exercise with the treatment and prevention of depression. Recommendations for the conduct of similar exercise programs that will be responsive to the needs of subjectively depressed women are offered.

Affective aspects of an age-integrated water exercise program.

Affective aspects of an age-integrated water exercise program.

A formative evaluation of a health education — water exercise program for class II and III adult rheumatoid arthritis patients

There is little scientific evidence to support the use of water-related rehabilitation programs for individuals with arthritis. This study was designed to conduct a preliminary assessment of the short-term impact of an 8-week, health education—water exercise program for 12 adults with rheumatoid arthritis. A one group pretest-posttest with repeated measures design was employed. Patient evaluation techniques included standard goniometric measurement of active range of motion of major joints, grip strength, timed functional tasks and a self-report questionnaire. All participants were evaluated on four separate occasions. The results of the evaluations revealed that, subjectively, all participants expressed physical and psychosocial improvement. Significant improvement for 8 of 12 selected physical impact variables was observed at the end of the program and for at least 4 weeks post-program. A sufficient degree of impact was noted to recommend proposing a larger, more rigorous evaluation study.