User talk:Dr.Nirav Vasavada

A COMPARATIVE STUDY TO FIND OUT THE EFFECTS OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES ON FITNESS OF SENIOR CITIZEN

Ask yourself, what are the biggest challenges facing our nation’s health care system in this new century? One may thing of the increasing prevalence of many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, or diabetes, finding a cure for many type of diseases, or meeting the legislative challenges of managed care in our hospitals and clinics. One could also argue that the biggest challenges are successfully managing what some call the 'Ageing of India". With life expectancy increasing due to improvements in medical care and technology and the "baby-boom" generation now reaching middle age, the population of older adults in our country will continue to grow in magnitude. In fact, the number of Indian over the age of 65 years old is expected to double by the year 2030. Undoubtedly, this will place an increasing strain on the medical community to care for managing population, as health care costs would most likely have to rise to meet these needs. However, we, as health and fitness professionals, should welcome this challenge. As more emphasis is placed on the prevention of age-related diseases and increasing quality of life, we can make a profound impact on the quality and cost of health and fitness. Professionals should welcome these challenges. As more emphasis is placed on the prevention of age-related disease and increasing quality of life, we can ultimately alleviate some of the future problem facing our health care system. According to American college of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the goals of an exercise program for older individuals are maintenance of functional capacity for independent living, reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease, retardation of the progression of chronic disease, promotion of psychological well-being, and provision of opportunities for social interaction' (ACSM, 2000). With these goals in mind, it is critical for exercise professionals to be well-informed regarding the effect for the aging process on the human body and how exercise can be best used to positively influence this process. Inactivity is a major risk factor in old age. Without some form of exercise to keep muscles and active, one may not remain strong enough to perform basic task for everyday, addition many older people have problem due to chronic disease, which can be prevented, treated to some extent with the help of exercises. Why do we decay as we grow older? Why do things go increasingly wrong with the elderly? Why does the body's capacity of heal itself diminish alarmingly with age? Biologists, on a rough count, have advanced some 330 different theories of ageing, with a consensus nowhere in sight. An overall understanding of the why of ageing in humans as well as in other mammals remains elusive. There's the widely held belief that all things deteriorate over time, worn out by use, whether it's cars or kitchen gadgets. But then living organism are different from machines; the former composed of cells that can repair themselves through splitting and forming perfect copies. That brings on the unanswered question; why with age cell lose their capacity to replicate? Another popular theory that life span is somehow tied to the metabolic rate. The quick nervous mice die within months while the lazy turtles can last as long as a century. Similarly birds have high metabolic rates, high body temperatures, and high glucose   levels - all things that are supposed to be bad for you - and yet survive for remarkably longs periods.1 The island opossums, with their far better chances of survival from predators, aren't investing all their energy in producing offspring quickly and copiously; they breed late and breed fewer, investing in better immune systems and other ways of keeping themselves healthy longer. And thus over millenniums delayed their collective rate of ageing. Austad is now working with tissue samples from the island and mainland opossums to prove that the difference in life span is, in fact, due to difference in the opossums' genes, rather than external factors. These genes could be a gold mine for biologists seeking genetic clues to mammalian ageing in general, and human beings in particular.2 The numbers of older people are rising steadily all over the world. According to a recent United Nations report, one million people reach age 60 every month. There are now 600 million people on earth who are 60 and over. And a majority of them live in develop countries. Clearly the global market for products and services aimed at older people will grow enormous. Yet the commercial world is taking its own time coming to terms with the phenomenon. For one, most of the words it uses are too small for older customers. ___________________________________________________________________ 2 Doctor NDTV - Fitness/ Lift style-Old age and exercises. 3Singh, Mohinder "Health and Food," 5, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi: (2003); 187-209 Take directions on medicine bottles! It's between 6 and 9 points on remedies for colds and on vitamins. Obvious the type is too small to read for older people, the major users of such medicines. Writings on tablet and capsule strips are even less decipherable. Certainly, of all the words we are required to read in the course of our lives, few are more important than the labels, directions and warnings on drugs.3

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of the study is to find out the Comparative Effects of two different training programmes on fitness of Senior Citizen.

Objectives of the Study

The following objectives will be set for the study: 1.	To Assess the effect of Training on fitness level of Senior Citizen. 2.	To know the effect of selected training programme on fitness level of Senior Citizen. 3.	To compare the Calisthenics  and weight training group on fitness of Senior Citizen.

Delimitations

The present study is delimited in the following way; 1.	The present study is confined to Ahmedabad (Gujarat). 2.	Further the study is confined to 120 male Senior Citizens only. 3.	The study is further confined to the One Hundred twenty Senior Citizen males of age ranging 60 to 72 years. 4.	Further the study is confined to following two training programme only i.e. jogging and Calisthenics exercises programme and light weight training exercises programme. 5.	Study is further confined to the 4 days training in a week for twelve to fourteen weeks. 6.    	The study is delimited to medically fit Senior Citizen chosen as subject for the study.

Limitations

Although research scholar will have to anticipate few limitations in the present study. Since, the training is for 12-14 weeks and Senior Citizen is the subjects for the study. The findings of the study will be understood by considering the following Limitation during the study faced by the scholar. 1.	Availability of small number of sample size will be one of the limitations of the Study. 2.	Sophisticated testing equipment and sophisticated equipment for exercises are also one of the limitations for the present study. 3.	Different subjects and other factors such as Life Style, dietary habits, daily routine, are also limitation for the present study. 4.	Social stigma behind involving Senior Citizen in routine exercise schedule may also be considered as Limitation for the Study.

Definitions and Explanations of Terms Training Sports training is a process of preparation of a sportsman based on scientific and pedagogical principles, for higher performance.1 _____________________________ 1 Hardayal Singh, Sports Training: General Theory and Methods (Patiala: Publications Unit, Netaji Subash National Institute of Sports, 1985), PP. 2-3

Physical Fitness The American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation defines total fitness as: .... that state which characterizes the degree to which the person is able to function. Fitness is an individual’s matter. It implies the ability of each person to live most effectively with his potential. Ability to function depends upon the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual components of fitness, all of which are related to each other and are mutually inter-dependent.2

Senior Citizens

A person of relatively advanced age, especially a person at or over the age of retirements.3

2Mohinder Singh, Health and Food: (New Delhi: Sports Publication, 2003); pp 187-209.

3Ref: www.answer.com/topic/senior citizen.

Hypothesis

Based on the literature which is available on the benefit of exercise on Senior Citizens the following hypothesis is set: 1.	It is hypothesized that the fitness level of the senior citizen would significantly improve due to the 12-14 weeks training programmes. 2.	It is also hypothesized that there would be significant effect of both the selected training programme on the fitness level of Senior Citizen. 3.	It is also hypothesized that there would be no significant difference between Calisthenics group and weight training group.

Significance of the Study

WHO remark that by 2030 the Senior Citizen population will be doubled as the fitness awareness among the masses is increasing day by day keeping in mind the significance of the report the study will be of immense significance in the following way; 1.	The result of the study will help to boost the community for positive health and wellness. 2.	Result will help to create an awareness of the importance of physical activity for health promotion in Senior Citizen in general and caregivers. 3.	Result will facilitate the implementation of programmes aimed at promoting active ageing. 4.	Finding will motivate the Senior Citizen to improve the quality of life. 5.	Findings will help to provide guideline for exercise programme for muscular strength and endurance in Senior Citizen. 6.	Finding will help to prepare guideline for exercise programming for postural stability and flexibility in Senior Citizen. 7.	Findings of the Study will also help the Senior Citizen individual to improve the maintenance of functional capacity for independent living. 8.	Finding of the present study will also enrich the literature on Senior Citizen which was so far ignored.