IMPACT OF A 12-MONTH EXERCISE PROGRAM ON THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF OSTEOPENIC WOMEN

OBJECTIVE: To describe the effect of a supervised physical activity pr ogram on the physical and psychological health of osteopenic women. DE SIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Sherbrooke, Quebec, Cana da. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 124 community-living post-menopausal wome n, between 50 and 70 years of age,with low bone mass took part in the study. INTERVENTION: Subjects allocated to the experimental group perf ormed weight-bearing exercises (walking, stepping up and down from ben ches), aerobic dancing, and flexibility exercises for 60 minutes, thre e times a week, over a period of 12 months. All subjects were invited to attend bi-monthly educational seminars covering topics related to o steoporosis. OUTCOME MEASURES: Spinal and femoral bone mineral density (BMD), functional fitness (flexibility, coordination, agility, streng th/endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance), psychological well-bring, back pain intensity, and self-perceived health. RESULTS: Spinal BMD st abilized in the exercisers while decreasing significantly in the contr ols (P=.031). No change in femoral BMD was observed in either group (P =.597). Four of the five parameters chosen to evaluate functional fitn ess, namely flexibility, agility, strength, and endurance, were affect ed positively by the exercise program (all P<.01). Adjusting for presc ores by means of an analysis of covariance revealed a significant diff erence between the groups in psychological well-being, which favored t he exercisers (P=.012). After 12 months, back pain reported by exercis ers was lower than that reported by controls (P=.008). Finally, self-p erceived health increased in the exercise group, whereas no difference was observed in the control group (P=.790). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that after 12 months, exercising can produce a significant in crease above initial levels in the functional fitness, well-being, and self-perceived health of osteopenic women. Intensity of Lack pain can also be lowered by exercise. The exercise program succeeded instabili zing spinal BMD but had no effect on femoral BMD.