BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Elderly patients with heart failure suffer from many daily activity problems and mental adaptation; however, exercising as a non-medical intervention is not usually recommended by the treatment team. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of an aerobic and resistance exercise program on physiological-psychological adaptation in elderly with heart failure. METHODS: This study is a randomized, clinical trial design. The study population comprised elderly with heart failure. Sixty male elders were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. The group-based aerobic and resistance exercise program was conducted for three months. The psychological health questionnaire was completed both in the pre-and post-intervention period while the 6-Minute Walking Test was assessed in four time intervals. RESULTS: The results showed a significant statistical difference between the two groups' 6-Minute Walking Test and psychological adaptation mean scores (p < 0.001). The aerobic and resistance exercise programs improved physiological and psychological adaptation, and diminished "psychological stress" (p < 0.001) among the elderlies with heart failure. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that a group-based aerobic and resistance exercise program for elderlies with heart failure may contribute to improving their quality of life by improving their physiological capabilities and psychological adaptation. The study's results provide support for the safety and efficacy of group-based aerobic and resistance exercises for elderly patients with heart failure.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PDF locator
• publisher