The Effects of the Senior Elastic Band Exercise Program on the Functional Fitness of Community Aged Adults: Transtheoretical Model

Purpose: The TTM was applied in this study to promote behavioral change and test the effects of a group senior elastic band (SEB) exercise program on the functional fitness of aged community adults who were at the contemplation and preparation stages of behavioral change.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design with pretest and posttests on two groups was used. Six senior activity centers from Southern Taiwan were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control groups using a lottery system. A total of 199 participants was recruited, and 169 participants completed the study (experimental group n = 84, control group n = 85). The SEB exercise program was conducted three times a week, 40 minutes per time for six months. The functional fitness (lung capacity, cardiopulmonary fitness, upper and lower body flexibility, upper limb muscle power, and lower limb muscle endurance) of the participants was collected at baseline and at three- and six- month of the intervention.

Results: All of the functional fitness indicators had significant changes among pre-test and post-tests in the experimental group (p < .001). The experimental group had better performances than the control group in all of the functional fitness indicators after three months (p < .001) and six months of the SEB program intervention (p < .001).

Conclusion: This study applied the contemplation and preparation stages of the TTM to provide participants with appropriate activity strategies. After the SEB program intervention, the functional fitness of the community aged adults improved significantly and they maintained exercising regularly for six months. Providing appropriate exercise prescriptions according to the various stages of behavior change can effectively facilitate regular exercise behaviors and enhance the functional fitness of aged adults.