Physical activity and health with increasing age

Aging is associated with a reduction of physical activity, quality of movement,
and quality of sleep. This leads to reduced health and well being in elderly
subjects. Aerobic physical activity can increase executive functions and sleep,
resulting in a partial restoring of health and well being.

- define and validate indexes, based on body acceleration, related with quality
of movement and quality of sleep for daily life monitoring,
- cross-sectional study of relations of these indexes with age,
- longitudinal study of the effect of physical activity training on the age
associated reduction of quality of movement and quality of sleep.

The study consists of a validation study to define indexes related with quality
of movement and quality of sleep, a cross-sectional analysis to evaluate
correlations with age, and an intervention study on the efficacy of physical
activity training.

5 subjects per decade will form part of a control group and 20 of an exercise
group. Control subjects won*t change their ordinary life, while subjects in
the exercise group will follow a regular training schedule of moderate
intensity, at 50% of heart rate reserve, as available for the specific age
group in fitness centres.

Candidates will first undergo a telephone interview for screening (30 min) with
questions about their personal characteristics, health and lifestyle. Those
that will result suitable for this research will visit the university once.
During the visit, weight height and body composition will be measured (1 hour)
and 4 tests will be performed: walking test (gait analysis, 1 hour), standing
test (postural control, 1 hour), fitness test (exhaustion test, 1 hour) and
sleeping test (polysomnography, 10 hours overnight). No risk is associated with
the tests, although the fitness test can cause fatigue. During the
intervention, field measurements will be taken at three time points (at the
beginning, at 6 months and at the end). At each time point, subjects will be
asked to wear the DirectLife Active Monitor during 1 week. Measurements
constitute no risk and require a minimal burden from the subjects. No burden or
risk is associated with the training, as subjects will be recruited among
people that are already planning to follow a training.
Training subjects will get an allowance for half of the cost of their training,
while control subjects will receive 100 euro.