This study aims to search for ways in which the elderly women can have increased quality of life, promote and maintain health by elucidating the effects of Korean traditional dance program on body composition, physical fitness, blood lipids, growth ho...
This study aims to search for ways in which the elderly women can have increased quality of life, promote and maintain health by elucidating the effects of Korean traditional dance program on body composition, physical fitness, blood lipids, growth hormone, cereblal blood flow and neurotransmittors concentration of those subjects and proposing fundamental data in regard to exercise programs that could incrase their physical fitness, cerebral blood flow and neural activity.
the elderly women test subjects were recruited from Y-settlement house located in Seoul aged between 75 to 80. Anyone falling under that criteria who were willing to participate in this study were informed of the objectives and procedure of this study and those who were not exercising on a regular basis have been selected as ideal test subjects. They were subsequently divided into crontrol and intervention groups, seven and six individuals respectively. The intervention group was subjected to 40-60% intensity of heart rate reserve (HRR) on three occasions for 12-weeks in total and the control group were allowed to continue with their typical life style throughout the same period. Both groups also received pre- and post- intervention examinations on their levels of body composition, physical fitness, blood lipid, growth hormone, cerebral blood flow and neutotransmitters concentration. Collected data have been processed using the SPSS 12.0 statistics program as per analysis objectives, mean and standard deviation values were calculated for all measurements, a Kolmogorov-smirnov Test was performed in order to confirm that the sample population is normal distribution and an indipendent t-test was performed to confirm the homogeneity of each major variable for pre-experiment and general characteristics between the two groups. Also, a paired t-test was performed in order to validate the mean differences observed in the control as well as intervention group before and after the 12-week experiment and an independent t-test for the mean diffeences between the two groups. The level of significance for the tests to support hypotheses was set at ‘a = 0.05’.
1) Changes in Body Composition
As a result of observing the body weight of the elderly women subjects after 12-weeks of experiment, there was a statistically insignificant decrease for the intervention group and the increase seen in the control group was statistically significant (p<0.05). As a result of observing changes in body fat ratio after 12-weeks of experiment, the intervention group had shown a statistically significant decrease (p<0.05) and the control group had shown a statistically insignificant increase. As a result of observing changes in the amount of body fat after 12-weeks of experiment, the intervention group had a statistically significant increase (p<0.05) and the control group had demonstrated no statistically significant changes.
By contrasting the differences between the two test groups, body fat in both percentage and kilogram had shown statistically significant increases (p<0.05) after 12-weeks of experiment, whereas body weight in kilogram had no significant changes.
2) Changes in physical fitness.
As as result of observing changes in grip strength after 12-weeks of experiment, the intervention group had shown a statistically significant increase (p<0.01) and the control group had shown a statistically significant decrease (p<0.001). As a result of observing lower body flexibility after 12-weeks of experiement, the intervention group has shown a statistically significant increase (p<0.05) and the control group had shown no statistically significant changes. As a result of observing upper body flexibility, balance and cardiopulmonary endurance after 12-weeks of experiment, the intervention group had an increase while the control group had a decrease, however, both results were statistically insignificant. As a result of observing muscular endurance after 12-weeks of experiement, the intervention group had a statistically significant increase (p<0.001) while the control group had no changes which were statistically significant.
By contrasting the differences after 12-weeks of experiement between the two test groups, grip strength (p<0.05), upper body flexibility (p<0.01) and muscular endurance (p<0.001) had exhibited statistically significant changes, whereas lower body flexibility, balance and cardiopulmonary endurance had exhibited no statistically significant changes.
3) Changes in the Level of Blood Lipid
As a result of observing changes in the total level of cholesterol after 12-weeks of experiment, the intervention group had a statistically insignificant increase while the control group had a statistically significant increase (p<0.05). As a result of observing changes in the level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) after 12-weeks of experiment, the intervention group had a statistically insignificant increase while the control group had a statistically significant increase (p<0.001). As a result of observing changes in the level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) after 12-weeks of experiement, the intervention group had a statistically insignificant increase while the control group had a statistically significant decrease (p<0.05). As a result of observing changes in the level of triacylglyceride (TAG) after 12-weeks of experiment, the intervention group had a decrease while the control had an increase, however, both results were found to be statistically insignificant.
By contrasting the differences between the two test groups after 12-weeks of experiement, both LDL and HDL had exhibited statistically significant differences (p<0.001), whereas total cholesterol and TAG had exhibited figures which were statistically insignificant.
4) Changes in the Level of Growth Hormone
Changes in the level of growth hormone observed after 12-weeks of experiment in the intervention group had a statistically significant increase in figures (p<0.01) while the control group had a statistically significant decrease in figures (p<0.01).
As a result of looking into the differences in the level of growth hormone between the two test groups, significant changes have been demonstrated (p<0.01) after the 12-week experiement.
5) Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow
As a result of observing changes in the right and left side average blood flow rate after 12-weeks of experiement, the intervention group had shown an increase in figures while the control group had shown a decrease in figures, however, both results were found to be statistically insignificant.
By contrasting the differences in the right and left side average blood flow rate for the two test groups after 12-weeks of experiement, both the control and intervention group had shown statistically insigficant results for pre- as well as post-experiment.
6) Changes in the Level of Neurotransmitters concentration.
As a result of observing changes in the level of dopamine and serotonin after 12-weeks of experiement, both test groups had shown an increase, however, it was statistically insignificant. As a result of observing changes in the level of epinephrine after 12-weeks of experiement, the intervention group had a statistically significant increase (p<0.05) while the control group had a decrease which was statistically insignificant. As a result of observing changes in the level of norepinephrine after 12-weeks of experiement, the intervention group had a statistically significant increase (p<0.01) while the control group also had an increase, however, it was statistically insignificant.
By contrasting the differences between the two test groups after 12-weeks of experiement, epinephrine (p<0.01) and norepinephrine (p<0.001) both had significant changes in levels, whereas dopamine and serotonin had no statistically significant changes for pre- as well as post-experiment.
Therefore, it is believed that the elderly can provide themselves with the motive to have vibrant daily lives by increasing their physical fitness if they were to participate in Korean traditional dance programs on a regular basis. Such activity may be beneficial in terms of promoting cerebral blood flow in conjunction with an increase in the release of neurotransmitters concentration to improve memory, prevent neurodegenerative disorders, ischemic stroke etc., in order to achieve enhanced general health and increase their quality of life.