Abstract. The objective of the present study was to clarify the effects of physical fitness elements on rising from the supine to sitting position in the elderly. Subjects were 18 elderly persons (12 men and 6 women) who lived at home. Rising from the supine to sitting position was analyzed by measuring the amount of time required for rising and observing body movements. Dynamic balance was assessed by measuring maximum forward and lateral reach of the arm in the sitting position. Trunk muscle strength was also assessed by measuring trunk bending by while sitting in a chair. Furthermore, flexibility was assessed by measuring finger-floor distance (FFD) while standing on the feet and bending the upper body forward. The average minimal rising time was 2.7 ± 0.9 seconds. There were two distinctive movement patterns for rising, and the results of one-way ANOVA showed that FFD was the only significant principal effect. Multiple regression analysis of the relationship of minimal rising time to maximum lateral reach and maximum trunk muscle strength showed a determination coefficient of r2=0.795 (p<0.01). The results of the present study indicate that flexibility affects movement patterns, and that lateral reach and trunk muscle strength are the determination factors for the amount of time required for rising from the supine to sitting position.

The purpose of this study was to better clarify the influence of wearing a lumbo-sacral orthosis (LSO) on the respiratory and circulatory responses during ergometry exercise, especially on work capacity and energy consumption. [Subjects] Work capacity (WC), peak oxygen uptake (V • O 2peak) and values of gas exchange threshold (V • O 2GET) in ten healthy male subjects (age 19.9 ± 0.6 yr, height 1.71 ± 0.06 m, weight 61.2 ± 5.0 kg; mean ± SD) were examined. [Methods] Experimental conditions were as follows: a non-elastic lumbo-sacral orthosis (NLSO) or an elastic lumbo-sacral orthosis (ELSO) were worn and no orthosis was used for the control. For statistic analyses, one-way ANOVA was performed. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. [Results] In this study, we found no significant differences among the three conditions. Mean values of WC were 237 ± 32.6 W in controls, 220 ± 35.2 W with the NLSO and 227 ± 32.3 W with the ELSO, except for one subject who was instructed to stop exercising. Values of V • O 2peak were, on the average, 2.59 ± 0.34 ml/min in controls, 2.30 ± 0.40 ml/min in the NLSO and 2.41 ± 0.45 ml/min in the ELSO, excluding the subject who failed to exercising. Mean values of V • O 2GET were 1.21 ± 0.30 ml/min in controls, 1.02 ± 0.24 ml/min with the NLSO and 1.14 ± 0.32 ml/min with the ELSO, for all of the 10 subjects. [Conclusion] It was concluded that both types of LSO had no effect on cardio-pulmonary responses during ergometry exercise.

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ABSTRACT:To investigate the perception of verticality in the sitting position by the elderly with care needs, we measured the error between the angles that the elderly considered as the vertical in the sitting position and the actual angle for the elderly in need of care who were in their care units for more than 6 months. We also measured the same angles for healthy elderly persons and healthy young people as a control group. The relationship with rest times and with the ability of daily life was also examined in order to research the cause. The perception of verticality of the elderly with long-term care needs was quite variable and had a tendency to deviate backward compared to healthy elderly and healthy young people, showing the process of using vision for judgment was different. Furthermore, the higher the ability of daily life was in the elderly with long-term care needs, the smaller the difference in the angle was, showing convergence of correct angle differences to the value. These results suggest that searching for the optimum perceptual approach for the task and tying it into exercises, as well as getting subjects to consciously experience verticality in need of long term care. Key words: elderly with long-term care needs, perception of verticality position, interaction of perception and exercise