The Effect of Gymnastics in The Healthy Elderly on Physical Fitness and Cognitive Function in Indonesia Elderly Institutional of West Java Province

Abstract

The declines in physical fitness and cognitive function are two of the indicators that can be used in determining the health status of the elderly. According to Statistics Indonesia, the number of elderly people in Indonesia reached 20.24 million people in 2014. The Elderly will likely be more vulnerable to physical complaints due to the aging process. Gymnastics is an appropriate type of exercise for the elderly and has good benefits to improve the quality of life, maintaining their physical fitness and cognitive function. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of gymnastics of healthy elderly on physical fitness and cognitive function in Lembaga Lanjut Usia Indonesia (Indonesia Elderly Institutional) of West Java Province.  This research was conducted from February to June 2017. The research method is analytical observational with a cross-sectional design. The samples of research were 20 people who regularly attend gymnastics and 20 people who do not regularly attend gymnastics. Their age ranges between 60-69 years old. Measurements of fitness used in this study was a Six-minute walk test, while for cognitive function, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was applied. The results showed that 18 out of 20 people who exercised gymnastics on a regular basis had good physical fitness (V ?O_2max = 24,01–30,59ml/kg BW/min), and all of them had normal cognitive function (MMSE score between 24–30). As for chi-square test results, it was shown that the elderlies who performed regular physical fitness exercise had p<0,05, while their cognitive function had p< 0,05. In conclusion, there is a positive impact of gymnastics on the healthy elderly's physical fitness and cognitive function. The elderly who regularly attend gymnastics has chronic adaptation resulted in good physical fitness. In addition, gymnastics is a combination of muscle movement and breathing exercises, and it maximizes the blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain that results in better cognitive function.