This study examined relationships between physical activity and sleep relative to leisure-time, household, and occupational physical activity in community-dwelling, older adults. From 3,000 randomly chosen community-dwelling, adults, aged 65-85 years, we recruited 509 eligible subjects (mean age 73.2 ± 5.1 years). We assessed nocturnal sleep duration, sleep onset latency and subjective sleep quality over the previous month through a questionnaire. Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly was used to assess leisure-time, household, and occupational physical activity. Items pertaining to sleep were expressed as dichotomous variables (good/poor), and each physical activity score was divided into two categories based on activity level. To investigate the relationship between sleep (dependent variable) and physical activity (independent variable), we used a logistic regression analysis, controlling for age, gender, living arrangement, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function. Prolonged sleep latency was significantly related to no participation in low intensity exercise (OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.42-3.21) and muscle strength exercise (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.06-3.74). Our data suggest that not participating in low intensity exercise or muscle strength exercise may be associated with difficulty initiating sleep in older adults.

To clarify changes in body temperature during endurance exercise in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), we measured tympanic temperature (Tty) and skin temperature in the head, arm, chest, thigh, shin and calf in 5 patients with SCI (T6-T 12) and 7 normal controls during 30 minutes arm cranking exercise (20 watts) from 10 minutes before the initiation of exercise until 10 minutes after the termination of exercise in an artificial climate room at a temperature of about 25°C with a relative humidity of about 50%. The Tty in the SCI group was lower than that in the control group from 10 minutes before the initiation of exercise to 10 minutes after the termination of exercise with a significant difference only at the initiation of exercise. The difference in Tty slightly decreased with continuation of exercise. The Tty in the SCI group at rest was 36.05-37.15°C. Four patients in this group showed a decrease of 0.04-0.12°C in the early stage and an increase of 0.66°C±0.19 (mean±SD) at the end of exercise over the value at the initiation of exercise.
The skin temperature was lower in the SCI group than in the control group in all sites excluding the arm. Significant differences were observed in the head in the early stage of exercise and after exercise, in the chest from 10 minutes before the initiation of exercise to 5 minutes after the termination of exercise, in the thigh from 10 minutes before the initiation of exercise to 10 minutes after the termination of exercise, in the shin 10 minutes and 5 minutes before the initiation of exercise, and in the calf from before to 15 minutes after the initiation of exercise. In the SCI group, marked individual differences were observed in the skin temperatures in the thigh, shin, and calf, suggesting specificity of the skin temperature response in and near the paralysis area.
Results in Tty in this study suggested no heat retention in the SCI patients. Therefore, the risk for heat disorders seems to be low during moderate or mild exercise under moderate temperature environment at a temperature of about 25°C with a relative humidity of about 50% even when the skin temperature is low, and thermolysis is not marked.

Objective: This study investigates the presence or absence of reminiscence experiences in older adults when using aromas. Focusing on 40 scents familiar to Japanese people, our objective was to determine points of caution for aroma selection and use in reminiscence therapy.Materials and Methods: The participants were 118 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older. They were asked about the experience of recalling the past in response to stimuli of 40 aromas on the Japanese version of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT-J). In addition, an olfactory visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate olfactory function. Furthermore, a questionnaire-based survey was administered instead of asking participants to actually smell the odorants in the UPSIT-J.Results: At least 70% of the participants experienced recalling the past triggered by 16 aromas including sandalwood and yuzu fruit. Furthermore, 15 of the scents demonstrated a significant association with age, gender, and olfactory function.Conclusion: These results suggest the importance of considering method, age, and gender when selecting olfactory stimuli. In addition, frequently recalled aromas might evoke reminiscence in older adults.