Publication:

老人健康促進運動之長期效應的評估

人們隨著歲月增長老化，除了造成感覺、運動、認知能力的衰退，肌力、肌耐力、心肺適能、關節活動度、平衡能力也會下降。由於遺傳因子及運動形式的差別，下降趨勢亦因人而異。減緩老化除了醫療等方式的介入外，運動亦已被證實是一有效的方式。完整的老人運動課程應該包括肌力、心肺、柔軟度、平衡能力的訓練。ACSM、WHO、U.S. Surgeon General及國內的國民健康局等，也大力推廣老人運動的重要性。然而，因運動課程的設計，過去文獻並未有提出一套完整運動課程，包含肌力、心肺、柔軟度與平衡能力的具體成效，也少有肌力與平衡能力的生物力學量化評估。American Council on Exercise (ACE)老人健康促進運動在美國已推廣多年，以運動科學當基礎，課程中包括了肌力、心肺、柔軟度與平衡能力等訓練，且不需要太多的器材，不受場地的限制。課程的強度與內容，亦可隨時配合不同參與者。本計劃在台中市及南投的社區進行帶ACE老人運動6個月，並探討運動前後的差異。結果顯示，經過6個月運動後，受試者在功能性體適能檢測中，下肢肌耐力、二頭肌肌耐力、肩部柔軟度、心肺耐力及靈敏度上有明顯改善。同時，在跨越障礙物結果，運動後會明顯減少Leading foot之toe與障礙物之距離。在由椅子站立之結果，運動後受試者會增加膝關節活動度及踝關節plantarflexion moments. 這些科學化的分析提供運動科學的依據，提供老人健康促進的運動具體確實的證據，也更有助於運動推廣促進老人健康。

The sensory, motor and cognitive abilities will be declined with aging. The muscle strength, muscle endurance, range of motion and balance will also be decreased with aging. However, the reduction rate of the physical performance is dependent on the individual and the exercise habit. It has been investigated in literature that exercise is one of the most efficient methods to decrease the aging effect. A comprehensive exercise course for elder people includes muscle strengthening, cardiopulmonary endurance training, range of motion exercise and balance training. The importance of exercise for elder people has been widely promoted by the following institutions, ACSM, WHO, US surgeon general and department of health in Taiwan. However, there was lack of science based evidences in literature for evaluating the exercise for elder people. “Senior functional chair exercise” is developed as the health promotion exercise in the American Council on Exercise in United Status. It consists of muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and balance. The powers of senior functional chair exercise are minimal equipment needed and no environment limitation. The aim of this study was to compare the difference on the parameters of physical fitness and biomechanical analysis between pre-exercise and post-exercise. The results showed that there were significant differences on the muscle strength endurance of arm curl test, chair stand test (muscle strength endurance of lower limbs), shoulder flexibility (back scratch test), cardio endurance (2-minute Step Test), and the agility/dynamic balance (8-Foot Up-And-Go-Test) in the functional fitness assessment after exercise. Besides, there was significant decrease in leading foot toe-obstacle distance during obstacle crossing. There were also significant increases on the knee joint range of motion and ankle plantar-flexion moments. With the scientific analysis of this exercise, it provides the strong objective support to promote the exercise for elder people so as to reduce the social cost and improve the quality of life in the elders.