1. Effects of Nordic Walking compared to Conventional Walking and Band-Based Resistance Exercise on Fitness in Older Adults.
- Author
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Nobuo Takeshima, Islam, Mohammod M., Rogers, Michael E., Rogers, Nicole L., Naoko Sengoku, Daisuke Koizumi, Yukiko Kitabayashi, Aiko Imai, and Aiko Naruse
- Subjects
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EXERCISE therapy , *ANALYSIS of variance , *ANTHROPOMETRY , *CHI-squared test , *CLINICAL trials , *DIAGNOSIS , *POSTURAL balance , *EXERCISE physiology , *LIFE skills , *LONGITUDINAL method , *MULTIVARIATE analysis , *MUSCLE strength testing , *POSTURE , *RESEARCH funding , *STATISTICAL sampling , *SPORTS sciences , *STATISTICAL hypothesis testing , *STATISTICS , *T-test (Statistics) , *WALKING , *DATA analysis , *EFFECT sizes (Statistics) , *BODY movement , *BODY mass index , *RANDOMIZED controlled trials , *PRE-tests & post-tests , *INDEPENDENT living , *INTER-observer reliability , *REPEATED measures design , *DATA analysis software , *FUNCTIONAL assessment , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *RESISTANCE training , *OLD age - Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Nordic walking with conventional walking and band-based resistance exercise on functional fitness, static balance and dynamic balance in older adults. Volunteers (n = 65) were divided into four groups: Nordic walking (NW), conventional walking (CW), resistance (RES), and control. Each group performed activity 50-70 min·day-1 (warm-up 10-15 min, main exercise 30-40, and cool down 10-15 min), 3 days·week-1 (NW and CW) or 2 day·week-1 (RES) for 12 wks. Upper-body strength improved (p < 0.05) in the RES (22.3%) and the NW (11.6%) groups compared to the CW and control groups. Cardio-respiratory fitness improved more in the NW (10.9%) and CW (10.6%) groups compared to the RES and control groups. Upper- and lowerbody flexibility also improved in all exercise groups compared to the control group. There were no improvements in balance measures in any group. While all modes of exercise improved various components of fitness, Nordic walking provided the best well-rounded benefits by improving upper-body strength, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility. Therefore, Nordic walking is recommended as an effective and efficient mode of concurrent exercise to improve overall functional fitness in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013