Effect Of 8 Weeks Elastic Band Resistance Combined With Imagery Training On Physical Fitness Of 60-74 Year Old People

Objective: Studies have shown that older adults experience a decline in physical fitness as they age.Resistance training can be an effective exercise modality to improve physical fitness in older adults,and elastic bands have shown good results as a portable exercise tool.The application of imagery training in resistance training has been less studied,and the combination of imagery training and physical exercises perhaps can achieve more physical fitness enhancement benefits.Therefore,in this study,we chose the resistance training method of elastic band combined with imagery training to investigate the effects of elastic band resistance combined with imagery training and elastic band resistance training on physical fitness in elderly people,and compared the differences between the two exercise methods to provide some reference and new inspiration for resistance training in elderly people.Method: The literature method was first used to form the theoretical basis and research rationale.Then,the experimental method was applied to conduct the effects of elastic band resistance combined with imagery training and elastic band resistance training on physical fitness of the elderly for 8weeks,3 times a week;11 people in the control group,15 people in the elastic band resistance training group(elastic band group)and 16 people in the elastic band resistance combined with imagery training group(imagery group)were studied;the height,weight,Body Mass Index(BMI),10 m walk,3m timed up-and-go(TUG),30 s arm curl,30 s chair stand,back scratch,chair sit-and-reach,2-minute step-in-place,grip strength,single leg stand with eyes closed,and cognitive(mini-mental state examination,MMSE)indexes were tested.Finally,the experimental data were statistically and analytically analyzed using SPSS26.0,and the two-factor repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the data of subjects before and after the experiment to determine the effects of 8 weeks of elastic band resistance combined with imagery training and elastic band resistance training over time on the indexes of physical fitness tests in the elderly,and the Shapiro-Wilk method was used to test the normality of the data,and the chi-square test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the pre-experimental data of the subjects between groups,with a significance criterion of p<0.05.Result:(1)There was no significant difference in the test results of each physical fitness and cognitive function index in the three groups of elderly people before the experiment(p>0.05),and there was no significant difference in the test data of physical fitness and cognitive function before and after the experiment in the control group(p>0.05).(2)In the elastic band resistance training group,all physical fitness were significantly improved(p<0.05),except for the results of flexibility and cognitive function tests,which did not change significantly before and after the experiment.(3)In the elastic band resistance combined with imagery training group,all physical fitness indexes were significantly higher after the experiment than before(p<0.05),except for the cognitive function,which did not change significantly.(4)Compared with the elastic band resistance training group,the results of 30 s arm curl,30 s chair stand,back scratch and chair sit-andreach in the elastic band resistance combined with imagery training group were significantly higher than those in the elastic band resistance training group(p<0.05),while the results of grip strength,10 m walk,TUG,single leg stand with eyes closed,2-minute step-in-place and cognitive function in the elastic band resistance combined with imagery training group were not statistically different from those in the elastic band resistance training group(p>0.05).Conclusion:(1)Both 8 weeks elastic band resistance combined with imagery training and elastic band resistance training significantly improved muscle strength,walking function and balance as well as aerobic endurance in older adults.8 weeks elastic band resistance combined with imagery training significantly improved flexibility in older adults,8 weeks elastic band resistance training did not significantly improve flexibility in older adults,8weeks elastic band resistance combined with imagery training and elastic band resistance training did not significantly improve cognitive function in older adults.(2)The effect of 8 weeks elastic band resistance combined with imagery training on muscle strength and flexibility of the elderly was significantly better than that of elastic band resistance training.(3)There was no significant difference in the effects of 8 weeks of elastic band resistance combined with imagery training on grip strength,walking function,balance and aerobic endurance compared with elastic band resistance training.