Effects of a multimodal exercise program on the functional capacity of Parkinson's disease patients considering disease severity and gender

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a multimodal exercise program (MEP) on the functional capacity of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) according to disease severity and gender. Fourteen patients with PD participated in the study and were distributed into groups according to 1) stage of disease and 2) gender. Functional capacity was evaluated before and after 6 months of intervention. The overall PD patient group improved their coordination and strength. Men and women improved in strength performance after exercise. Men also improved on coordination. For severity of disease, the unilateral group improved in strength, while the bilateral group improved in strength, balance, coordination and the UPDRS-functional score. In conclusion, a MEP is efficient in improving components of functional capacity in patients with PD, especially in strength. Gender may be considered in the exercise program. Individuals in the bilateral disease group appeared to benefit more from exercise

An applicability study of the aahperd’s functional fitness test for elderly american adults to elderly Japanese adults

In 1990 a functional fitness test for the elderly was proposed by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). This study was undertaken to determine the applicability of that test for elderly Japanese adults. The fitness parameters of the test were “total body flexibility”,“agility and dynamic balance”,“coordination of eye, arm and hand movements”,“strength and endurance”,and “aerobic capacity”. The sample consisted of five hundred thirty-four healthy normal elderly adults between the ages of 60 and 90