"Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training on Pulmonary Function and Tolerance of Activity in Asthmatic Patients "

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a course of aerobic exercise on pulmonary function and tolerance of activity in asthmatic patients. Among the asthmatic patients, 36 patients (M= 16, F= 20) were chosen after clinical examinations, pulmonary function test, skin prick test (SPT) for aeroallergen and a six minute walk test (6MWT) on their own free will. A patient was said to have Exercise Induced Asthma (EIA) when he/she fulfilled the following criteria; (1) FEV1 < 80%, (2) 12% increase or more in FEV1 or PEF after short-acting ß2 agonist prescription and (3) 15% decrease in FEV1 or PEF after 6MWT with 70% or 80% of maximum heart rate. The patients were randomly put into two groups of case (M=8, F=10, Mean age=27) and control (M=8, F=10, Mean age=29). Case group participated in eight-week aerobic exercise plan, while control group had no plan of exercise. Pulmonary function tests were done before and after the course of exercise. There were significant changes in FEV1, FVC, PEF, FEF25-75%, MVV, RF and 6MWT between asthmatic patients of the two groups (P≤0.05), but FEV1/FVC showed no significant change. Mean of changes in FEV1, FVC, PEF, FEF25-75%, MVV, RF and 6MWT were –25.56, -17.19, 32.09, -27.93, -22.18, 5.63 and –307.5 in case group respectively while they were 6.2, 4.67, 1.96, 6.65, 15.56,-2.87 and 18.78 in the control group. This study shows that aerobic exercises in asthmatic patients lead to an improvement in pulmonary functions. Aerobic exercise rehabilitation can be a complement to medical treatment of asthma

Effect of 8-Week of Selected Aerobic Exercise on Static and Dynamic Balance in Healthy Elderly Inactive Men

Objectives: Old age refers to years near or passed the middle age and therefore, near to the end of life&nbsp;cycle. Old-aged people have limited reviving capability and are more at risk of catching diseases, syndromes,&nbsp;and ailments. Falling is one of the most common problems in the elderly that occur due to their&nbsp;inability to maintain balance. This study aimed to examine the effect of aerobic exercises on static and&nbsp;dynamic balance in healthy elderly inactive men. Methods & Materials:&nbsp;This quasi-experimental research was done in older people living in a nursing home&nbsp;in Qazvin, Iran. The study population included 200 elderly men (65-75 years old); of them, 26 healthy,&nbsp;inactive men were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental (13 subjects) and control (13&nbsp;subjects) groups. The experimental group participated in selected exercise programs for 8 weeks. We&nbsp;used personal information questionnaire to check the inclusion criteria that comprised independency in&nbsp;doing daily chores, lack of problems in vision or fall during the last year, and not having joints dislocation,&nbsp;chronic arthritis or vertigo. In the case of having these problems, the subjects were excluded from the&nbsp;study. Stork balance test and Timed Up and Go test were used to measure the static and dynamic balance&nbsp;of subjects before the initiation and after the termination of the program. The statistical analyses&nbsp;were done by paired and independent t-tests. Results: The results of independent t-test did not indicate any significant differences between 2 groups&nbsp;with regard to age, height, and weight (P>0.05). Homogeneity was observed in the 2 groups with respect&nbsp;to individual features affecting balance and walking. After performing the aerobic exercise program, the&nbsp;dynamic balance in the experimental group increased significantly (P<0.001). In the dynamic balance&nbsp;test, the lower mean time supported the better execution of the test, and significant changes were&nbsp;observed in the experimental group. The comparison of the two groups indicated the positive effect of aerobic exercise on the dynamic balance of healthy older people; however, no significant change was&nbsp;seen in static balance (P=0.36). Since we used Stork test for determining static balance, the higher mean&nbsp;time supported the positive effect but with no significant change in the static balance of experimental&nbsp;group after 8 weeks. We found that different factors like lower extremity muscles such as soleus, gastrocnemius,&nbsp;and hamstring have some roles in keeping static balance, and as the exercise protocol was&nbsp;related to aerobic exercise (walking and jogging), it did not reinforce these muscles. Conclusion: Our results showed that regular aerobic exercise improves dynamic balance in elderly men.&nbsp;We also found that jogging and walking improved dynamic balance. The improvement in balance may be&nbsp;due to the increase in nervous compatibility (due to exercise); increase in fitness, strength, and motion&nbsp;domain; improvement in aerobic status, response time and mental status; improvement in neuromuscular&nbsp;control, including a decrease in changing movement units; and improvement in simultaneous movement&nbsp;units. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between body composition and movement&nbsp;with balance. Therefore, regular aerobic activities are recommended as a suitable training method for&nbsp;improving balance