Circuit exercise promotes health related factors in sarcopenic obesity elderly: a mini-review

Abstract

Sarcopenic obesity is a physiological problem caused by aging, such as reduced body function, increase of body fat, and decrease of muscle mass aggravates the quality of life of the elderly. Furthermore, it causes various social and economic problems such as degenerate and contraction of a chronic disease, increased health care costs, and increased prevalence or mortality rate. In particular, it adversely affects the condition for metabolic diseases such as lowering of body function and physical strength, blood lipids, and inflammation of the body and hormones. Currently, exercise therapy is recommended as a way to address the health problems of the elderly. In general, regular aerobic exercise is used as a way to resolve obesity and regular resistance exercise is effective in improving body function and muscle mass. Recently, the importance of resistance exercise has been emphasized in obese older people to improve muscle function and to prevent falls. However, resistance exercise has certain limitations such as risk of injury, limitation of place, and reduces obesity, so a new exercise method should be presented to the sarcopenic obese elderly. The circuit exercise using weight bearing has less risk of injuries, and it is possible to carry out the group exercise without restriction of cost and place, and it is possible to perform continuously with interest. Also, circuit exercise is recommended for the elderly because it shows improvement in body composition and in various physical factors in a relatively short time. Despite these positive effects, the studies reported so far are limited. To elucidate the effects of circuit exercise in sarcopenic obesity elderly, future studies are needed to confirm the effects of various intensity, frequency, time, and duration of exercise.