The effects of a community-centered muscle strengthening exercise program using an elastic band on the physical abilities and quality of life of the rural elderly

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a muscle strengthening exercise program using an elastic band on changes in the physical abilities and quality of life of the rural elderly. [Subjects] The subjects of this study were 46 elderly people (8 males, 38 females) aged 65 or older, who lived in a rural area and managed their daily lives independently. [Methods] The study’s exercise program was conducted 16 times for 80 minutes each session over an eight-week period. This program consisted of several exercises to strengthen muscular endurance and improve balance ability based on exercises using Thera-bands. The physical abilities of the subjects were divided into muscular endurance, upper-extremity flexibility, balance, and low-extremity agility. Each ability was measured to compare the effects of the exercise program. In addition, the Korean version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF questionnaire was used to examine changes in the subjects’ quality of life. [Results] The subjects showed improvements in muscular endurance, balance, and low-extremity agility. They also exhibited an overall statistically significant improvement in quality of life scores after the exercise program. In terms of the main items, changes were observed in the areas of psychological relations, social relations, and environment. [Conclusion] The community-centered muscle strengthening exercise program using the elastic band was found to improve muscular endurance, balance, agility, and quality of life of rural elderly subjects.

Resistance Band Exercises Reduce Depression and Behavioral Problems of Wheelchair‐Bound Older Adults with Dementia: A Cluster‐Randomized Controlled Trial

“…26 Resistance band exercises are helpful in healthy and frail older adults. 27,28 Such exercises have been found to enhance muscle strength and endurance; 29,30 improve balance, agility, and gait speed; 29,31,32 promote muscle hypertrophy; 33 and boost lower extremity function. 34 Furthermore, resistance band exercises have been reported to improve functional ability, 29 increase cardiovascular endurance, 29,31 increase flexibility and range of joint motion, 29,35 and enhance overall physical fitness of older adults.…”

Elastic Band Exercises Improved Activities of Daily Living and Functional Fitness of Wheelchair-bound Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

“…14 For older adults, low-impact and stabilization exercises were more appropriate and easily promoted. 15 Elastic band exercises were found to be of low impact and stable and could improve cardiorespiratory capacity, muscle endurance, flexibility, balance, and quality of life in older adults 12,16,17 ; thus, they can be one of the appropriate choices for older adults with dementia.…”

Effects of inpatient physical therapy on the functional status of elderly individuals

“…Kim et al 16 ) reported balance training in a standing position as an exercise that is helpful for improving activities that mainly use the lower extremities, such as gait, and training in a sitting position as somewhat helpful for improving balance ability. A study by Park et al confirmed that a community-centered muscle strengthening program using the elastic bands was effective at changing the physical functions and quality of life of the rural elderly 17 ) . Viccaro et al 18 ) , during their one-year observation of 500 veterans, found that poor TUG times, in addition to increasing the risk of falls, predispose to health decline and ADL performance problems in formerly fit people.…”