Effects of Combined Exercise on Exercise Adherences and Health Self-Efficacy in Middle-aged Women

Abstract

The purpose of this study was, therefore, to develop a combined exercise program to induce the participation of middle-aged women and to examine the effect of the participation in the proposed program on the health self-efficacy and exercise adherence. This study also intended to provide basic data on the development of effective exercise programs for the continuous health care of middle-aged women. The one group pre-post experimental design was applied and the subjects were 20 middle - aged women aged 35 to 65 who participated in a combined exercise program administered by the S District Public Health Center in Busan Metropolitan City. The proposed program was 12 weeks exercise program composed of aerobic exercise, low-middle intensity muscle-strength exercise, and flexibility and balance exercise. The effectiveness of the program was measured by using structured questionnaire on health self-efficacy and exercise adherence. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS 23.0 program and the descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon sign rank were conducted. The participation in combined exercise program had positive effects on health self-efficacy and exercise adherence, which are expected to induce continuous participation in exercise and active engagement with health management.