Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2012 , Vol 15, Issue 1
COMPARISON ON PHYSICAL FITNESS LEVELS OF EXERCISING AND NON-EXERCISING ELDERLY MEN
Selami YÃœKSEK
Kafkas Üniversitesi, Sarikamiş Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Yüksek Okulu KARS Introduction: This study was carried out to compare the physical fitness levels of elderly people with those of non exercising elderly people.

Materials and Method: 849 men (150-exercising, 699-sedentary) who can independently perform activities of daily living and who do not have a serious health problem, were subjects of the study. The participants were divided into four age groups, and each age group was separated into two subgroups as; Group 1: exercising and Group 2: non exercising. A questionnaire was used to determine exercise habits and the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) including six stations, was applied to measure strength and flexibility of upper-lower extremities, dynamic balance, coordination, and aerobic capacity of the subjects. The differences between the exercising group and the sedentary group were analyzed by “Independent Samples T Test”.

Results: According to the results of analyzed data, the fitness level of exercising and non exercising elders were statistically different (p<0.01, p<0.05).

Conclusion: In all parameters, the physical fitness levels of exercising elders were higher than those of non-exercising group. Keywords : Physical Fitness; Exercise; Aged