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Light resistance and stretching exercise in elderly women: effect upon flexibility
1Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53705.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|April 1, 1988
Summary
Older adults can improve joint flexibility through exercise. A 25-week program showed significant gains in range of motion (ROM) for ankle and shoulder joints in exercising groups compared to a control group.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Kinesiology
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Decreased range of motion (ROM) in older adults significantly impacts daily activity performance.
- Disuse is a primary contributor to age-related flexibility loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of a 25-week exercise program on joint flexibility in older women.
- To compare the efficacy of exercise with and without weights on improving range of motion.
Main Methods:
- 46 women (aged 65-89) participated in a 25-week study.
- Three groups: control (no exercise), exercise with light weights (EW), and exercise with no weights (EN).
- Goniometer used to measure flexibility of five joints before and after the intervention.
Main Results:
- Exercising groups (EN and EW) showed significant ROM improvements in ankle plantar flexion, shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction, and left neck rotation compared to the control group.
- No significant differences were observed in hip flexion, right neck rotation, wrist movements, or ankle dorsiflexion.
- The EN group achieved greater shoulder abduction ROM improvement than the EW group, suggesting arm weights may hinder shoulder mobility.
Conclusions:
- Exercise interventions can effectively increase joint range of motion in older adults.
- Exercise may reverse flexibility loss associated with disuse.
- Weight-bearing exercise might limit shoulder abduction gains compared to non-weight-bearing exercise.