RESULTS OF AN INVESTIGATION ON A REGIONAL PREVENTIVE SPORT PROGRAM

55 men and women aged between 38 and 72 years participated in a preven tive sport program for 4.5 months. It could be shown by exercise ECG i nvestigations at the beginning and at the end of the program that ther e was an increase of performance measured in watts and in the duration of exercise tolerance in the period of observation. Moreover, a posit ive effect was observed particularly on diastolic blood pressure and t he pulse rate under exercise. Significant positive changes were not fo und with regard to body weight and the parameters of lipid metabolism during the period of investigation. The participants reported an impro vement both of their physical and psychological ap praisal with regard to the experience and characteristics of stress. The intervention per iod of 4.5 months appears to be too short to alter health behavior. Ho wever, the overall result of this investigation shows that it is appro priate to establish preventive sport groups. It is noteworthy that a l arge proportion of the test subjects (namely 42 out of 55) is continui ng to do sports in a sport and rehabilitation health club after the en d of the 4.5-month-program.