Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In recent years sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity have significantly contributed to a dramatic decline in physical fitness in children and young adults. The aim of our study was (i) to determine the current level of selected motor skills in university students using SENIOR FITNESS TEST (SFT), (ii) to compare the motor test results between university students and seniors before and after completing a 3-month exercise program, and (iii) to compare the motor test results of the university students with reference scores for the tests used from SFT.
METHODS: 119 students (age 20.28 ± 1.69; M27 / F92) of the 1st year of the Faculty of Medicine SHU and 92 seniors (age 69.46 ± 4.45; M15 / F78) participated in the testing. The 2-minute step-test was used to determine aerobic endurance, the GetUp and Walk test was used to determine the level of mobility and dynamic balance and the Back-scratch test to determine the flexibility of the upper limbs and the Sit-and-reach test to determine the flexibility of the lower limbs.
RESULTS: In the 2-minute step test, university students achieved an average value of 120.07 ± 11.92 repetitions. Seniors achieved 114.89 ± 23.34 repetitions before the start of the exercise program, and after its completion, this number increased to 120.15 ± 20.22. Comparing the two groups, we found that the level of aerobic endurance in university students is almost identical to that of seniors after a 3-month exercise intervention.
CONCLUSION: Our results indicate a dramatic decrease in the level of aerobic endurance in university students, close to the performance of trained seniors (Tab. 3, Ref. 15). Text v PDF www.lekarskyobzor.sk.
KEY WORDS: aerobic endurance, seniors, university students, physical activity, Senior Fitness Test.
Lek Obz 2022, 71 (6 – 7): 233-236
Lucia SLOBODOVÁ 1,2, Dušan HOLAS 1 , Katarína ONDIČOVÁ 3, Pavel MALOVIČ 1, Veronika TIRPÁKOVÁ 1
1 Ústav telovýchovného lekárstva LF SZU, Bratislava, prednosta MUDr. P. Malovič, PhD., MPH
2 Biomedicínske centrum SAV, Bratislava, vedúci Mgr. J. Ukropec, DrSc.
3 Ústav patologickej fyziológie LF UK, Bratislava, prednosta prof. MUDr. F. Šimko, PhD., FESC
Cite:
SLOBODOVÁ L., HOLAS D., ONDIČOVÁ K., MALOVIČ P., TIRPÁKOVÁ V.: Physical fitness of young adults vs. physical fitness of seniors. Lek Obz 2022, 71 (6 – 7): 233-236
