The Effects of Two kinds of Aerobic exercise on simple and choice reation time in non-active older men

Introduction: The increasing elderly population has highlighted the need to attend to the problems of this strata. Falling is one of the most important causes of disability, injury and death in the elderly. According to some studies, reaction time is one of the most important factors preventing falls. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of two methods of aerobic exercise on simple and choice reaction time in elderly men. Materials & Methods: A total of 37 physically healthy elderly men aged over 60 were randomly divided into three groups after performing a pre-test, as follows. The walking or jogging exercise group (n=12), 2the training bike group (n=13), and 3the control group (n=12). The two exercise groups participated in the two kinds of aerobic exercises of walking or jogging and cycling for 8 weeks, three sessions a week, with the maximum heart rate of 60%. The control group did not perform any particular exercises during this period. An electronic reaction time measuring device was used to calculate this time. The ANCOVA test was used to examine intergroup differences and the effect of exercise on the dependent variables (P<0.05). Results: The results showed that exercise programs significantly improved simple and choice reaction time in both experimental groups, compared to the control group. The results also indicated that no significant difference existed between the effect of the two exercise methods on simple and choice reaction time. Conclusions: Based on the present study results, coaches, organizations, and institutions that deal with the elderly are recommended to use walking and cycling exercises, as well as other aerobic exercises, to reduce the risk of falls in the elderly.