Elderly Perspectives of Exercise with Outdoor Fitness Equipment
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Abstract
This study examined Thai elderly’s perspectives regarding exercise with outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) and assessed their fitness. Participants were 20 Thai seniors, aged over 60 years. This was a mixed method in which the qualitative data were collected via observation, semi-structured interview, and stimulated recall, then were inductively analyzed using content analysis and triangulated across the methods. Results indicated that the participants chose the public parks close to their residence together with convenient transportation to avoid traffic congestion in the city. They expected to have good health, to socialize and to have fun. They engaged with 4-5 exercise machines per visit. The favorite outdoor fitness machines for males were (1) lat pull down, (2) ski walker, (3) air walker, and (4) chest and reverse fly, whereas the females preferred to exercise with (1) air walker, (2) elliptical cross trainer, (3) surfboard and (4) shoulder wheel. They were displeased with their fitness scores since quantitative data showed that some fitness parameters were in low categories compared to Thai elderly norms. The male body mass index (BMI) was in the overweight type whereas the female was normal. Further, the dynamic balance, leg strength, and cardiovascular endurance mean scores of both genders were in low categories. In conclusion, some fitness parameters were lower than norms. Thus, knowledge about how to design an exercise program, how to assess fitness and identify as normal or at risk categories was crucially needed.
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