We investigated the effects of underwater exercise plus hot-spring bathing on middle aged people.
Twenty-five subjects (mean age: 59.6±8.9 years) were divided into three groups (A, B, and C) and examined. Group A (three males, seven females) was subjected to underwater exercise and hot-spring bathing. Group B (eight females) was subjected to underwater exercise and fresh water bathing. Group C (seven females) was a control group (no exercise and no bathing).
Group A and B performed underwater exercise consisting of underwater walking, basic exercise, and swimming for 70 minutes. Group A was then subjected to hot-spring bathing (sodium bicarbonate spring, PH 8.0, 39°C) for 20min, and while Group B was subjected to fresh-water bathing (30°C).
Blood pressure was measured and blood tests were conducted early in the morning on the day of exercise plus bathing and on the following day. Further, Profile of Mood Status (POMS) tests were also conducted on the day following the exercise with bathing and data were compared.
The findings were as follows.
1) On the day following the exercise plus bathing, group A (underwater exercise plus hot-spring bathing) had significantly lower diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, CD4, red blood cells, hematocrit and total protein when compared with values before treatment (p<0.05).
2) After the exercise plus bathing, group A (underwater exercise plus hot-spring bathing) had significantly lower levels of depression-dejection, anger-hostility and confusion in POMS tests when compared with those of Group C (control group, no exercise and no bathing) (p<0.05).
We concluded that underwater exercise plus hot-spring bathing has good effects on the health of middle aged people.