title: Physical fitness of older adults in senior activity centres after 24-week silver yoga exercises.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Promoting physical fitness of young-older adults is essential in reducing healthcare expenditures which would occur in the future for those with chronic health problems. The silver yoga exercise programme was developed to accommodate the reduced body flexibility experienced by many older adults and was critically reviewed by experts and pilot-tested with community-dwelling older adults. This study aimed to test older adults' physical fitness after a 24-week silver yoga exercise programme and to examine whether the programme could be further shortened to fit senior activity centres' programme designs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quasi-experimental, pre-post tests design was used: baseline, at 12-week and at 24-week periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Convenience samples of 204 subjects were recruited from eight senior activity centres and 176 subjects completed the study. Subjects were randomly assigned into three groups based on the centres: (1) Experiment I: complete silver yoga with stretching and meditation, (2) Experiment II: shortened silver yoga without the guided-imagery meditation and (3) Wait-list control. The interventions were conducted three times per week for 24 weeks. Physical fitness indicators included body compositions, cardiovascular-respiratory functions, physical functions and the range of motion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of the 24-week period, the physical fitness of subjects in Experiments I and II had significantly improved whether or not guided-imagery meditation was used and all had better physical fitness than subjects in the control group (all p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physical fitness of older adults in both the 70-minute complete silver yoga group and the 55-minute shortened silver yoga group had significantly improved after the interventions. It was recommended that the silver yoga programme be shortened by eliminating the guided-imagery meditation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The shortened silver yoga exercise programme is recommended to be incorporated as an activity programme in community-settings to promote the physical fitness of older adults.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. ns148@mail.fy.edu.tw
authors.forename: Kuei-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ming-Hsien
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shan-Mann
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Hui-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Huey-Shyan
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chun-Huw
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020446:Fitness Centers; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015013:Yoga