The Effects of a 12-Week Walking Program on Community-Dwelling Older Adults

• Published in: Research quarterly for exercise and sport Vol. 80; no. 3; pp. 524 - 532
• Main Authors: Cheng, Shun-Ping, Tsai, Tzu-I, Lii, Yun-Kung, Yu, Shu, Chou, Chen-Liang, Chen, I-Ju
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis Group 01-09-2009; American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adults; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging (Individuals); Aging - physiology; Analysis of Variance; Bone density; Case-Control Studies; Community Relations; Control Groups; Evaluation Methods; Exercise; exercise training; Experimental Groups; Female; Health Conditions; Health Personnel; Health Programs; Health Status; Heart Rate; Humans; Influence; Instruction; Male; Metabolism; Mobility Limitation; Mortality; Motor Activity; Muscle Strength - physiology; Older Adults; Older people; Physical Activities; physical activity; Postural Balance - physiology; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; Prospective Studies; Quality of life; Reliability; Research Design; Residence Characteristics; Risk factors; Sample size; Social interaction; Sports medicine; Sports training; Statistical Analysis; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; Walking - physiology; Well Being
• ISSN: 0270-1367; 2168-3824
• DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2009.10599590

Walking is a popular and easily accessible form of physical activity. However, walking instruction for older adults is based on the evidence gathered from younger populations. This study evaluated walking conditions, strength, balance, and subjective health status after a 12-week walking-training program in community-dwelling adults > 65 years old. Participants walked 1,921 m (3,158.88 steps) in 26.69 min with a heart rate of 114 beats/min. An analysis of covariance to adjust for previous exercise habits, pretest strength, and subjective health status revealed significant differences in strength and in subjective physical and mental health status between experimental and control groups. This study identified the effects of the walking-training program on community-dwelling elderly adults without changing their previous physical activities.