INTODUCTION: The Senior Fitt Test is a tool used by many to study the functional fitness of older individuals. It assesses the physiological capability of these individuals to carry out daily tasks safely without fatigue. Research has shown that walking enhances the results of exercise by warming-up the muscles of the body. The exercise program consisted of individuals who were 70 years of age and older who attended classes three days per week for 13 weeks and went through a warm-up, cardiovascular training, resistance training, and cool down.  PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the 13 week exercise training affected certain fitness assessment measures in the Senior Fitt Test.  METHODS: Fifteen men and women (age 70 ± 10.50 yrs) of the UTA Center for Healthy Living and Longevity, volunteered to participate in this study. Each subject had a pre-test and a post-test done. During the pre-test, they walked after the Senior Fitt Test and during the post-test, they walked before the test. Four measures of fitness were assessed, Arm Curls, Back-Scratch test, Grip Strength, and the 2-Minute Step test. Arm curls were measured by using a 5 lb dumbbell for women and a 8 lb dumbbell for men. Back scratch was measured by a 12-inch ruler. Grip strength was measured by using a hand-grip dynamometry. And lastly, the 2-minute step test was measured by counting the steps and a timer. Finally, the results were analyzed by performing a t-test and the alpha level for significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: For the purpose of this study, the average was found for each variable. For Muscle Endurance- Arm Curl aspect of the test the pre-test yielded 22.2kg (±5.479%) and for the post-test was 23.46kg (± 5.09%) which did not show a significant difference (p=0.117). For Flexibility-the Back Scratch results for the pretest were 3.21in (±1.96%) and the post test were 3.096 (± 2.03 %) which was also not significantly different (p=0.705). For Strength- the Handgrip dynamometer results for the pretest were 13.53lbs (±5.91%) and 15.8lbs (± 7.597%) for the post test. These differences were not significant (p=0.208). For the Cardiovascular Endurance-2-Minute Step Test for the pretest was 123.93 steps (±19.35%) and for the post test it was 136.93 steps ( ± 24.739%) which was also not significantly different (p=0.102).

CONCLUSTION: The results of this study indicated that the training yielded no significant changes in the specific Senior Fitt test measurements observed. However, these individuals had been training for several weeks prior to the initial testing and any changes may have occurred at an earlier timeframe.

Authors here: Jocelyn Jose Faculty: Sponsor: J.R. Wilson, Ph.D Center for Healthy Living & Longevity, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX.

13 Week Training Program And the Senior Fitt Test13 Week Training Program And the Senior Fitt Test

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the 13 week exercise training affected certain fitness assessment measures in the Senior Fitt Test.

Fifteen men and women (age 70 ± 10.50 yrs) of the UTA Center for Healthy Living and Longevity, volunteered to participate in this study. Each subject had a pre-test and a post-test done. Their pre-test was done in the beginning week of January and their post test at the end of the April. In total there were 8 factors in the Senior Fitt test that were measured, Chair Stands, Back Scratch, Chair Sit and Reach, Grip Strength, 2 minute step test, 6 minute walk, 8 Ft Up and Go, and Arm Curls.

Four measures of fitness were assessed for this study, Arm Curls, Back-Scratch test, Grip Strength, and the 2-Minute Step test. Arm curls measured strength endurance since the test was focused on how many curls they can complete within 30 secs. Arm curls were measured by using a 5 lb dumbbell for women and a 8 lb dumbbell for men. Back scratch was measured by a 12-inch ruler and it measured flexibility. Grip strength was measured by using a hand-grip dynamometry and it measured strength. And lastly, the 2-minute step test, which measured endurance, was measured by counting their steps and also using a timer. Finally, the results were analyzed by performing a t-test and the alpha level for significance was set at p < 0.05.

For the purpose of this study, the average was found for each variable. For Muscle Endurance- Arm Curl aspect of the test the pre-test yielded 22.2kg (±5.479%) and for the post-test was 23.46kg (± 5.09%) which did not show a significant difference (p=0.117). For Flexibility-the Back Scratch results for the pretest were 3.21in (±1.96%) and the post test were 3.096 (± 2.03 %) which was also not significantly different (p=0.705). For Strength- the Handgrip dynamometer results for the pretest were 13.53lbs (±5.91%) and 15.8lbs (± 7.597%) for the post test. These differences were not significant (p=0.208). For the Cardiovascular Endurance-2-Minute Step Test for the pretest was 123.93 steps (±19.35%) and for the post test it was 136.93 steps ( ± 24.739%) which was also not significantly different (p=0.102).

The results of this study indicated that the training yielded no significant changes or improvement in the specific Senior Fitt test measurements observed. However, these individuals had been training for several weeks prior to the initial testing and any changes may have occurred at an earlier timeframe. While significant differences were not evident due to low sample size, it should be noted that any improvement and even maintenance at that age is a positive.

Figure 4: Steps during Pre-testing and Post-Testing