Comparison of the effect of two fun and regular physical activities on the rate of activity and interest to perform exercise in older women residential in Mashhad nursing homes

The most important issue to improve the health and quality of life for older adults is maintaining their high independence in physical and cognitive activities، and continue to active life. Various factors such as laziness، lack of fellow، and lack of interest to life in elderly have reduced their physical activity. Performing fun physical activities increases the frequency of elderly meeting with other people and entertaining and increased interest to physical activity which ultimately may improve their mobility status and increase interest to exercise in elderly. This study was performed with aim to compare the effect of two fun and regular physical activities on the rate of activity and interest to perform exercise in elderly women residential in nursing homes.

This two-group clinical randomized trial was carried out on 63 elderly (28 in intervention group and 35 in control group) residents of Mashhad nursing homes in 2013-2014. The experimental group performed fun physical exercises for two months، 3 times a week for 20 minute، and control group performed routine exercises of nursing homes. The used standard tools were Elderly Mobility Scale (EMS) and Exercise Dependence Scale (EDS). Data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 11. 5)، and independent-t test and Man-Whitney test. P<0. 05 was considered significant.

The mean age in elderly was 72. 5±7. 0 yrs. There was significant difference between two groups after intervention in mean corrective mobility and mean interest to exercise (P < 0. 001).

Fun exercise activities improve the mobility status by increasing of their interest to exercise in older women. Therefore، by informing the authorities of nursing homes from fun physical activity protocol and its implementation، we can prevent the onset of many movement disorders.