Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine whether the multicomponent exercise program based on an independent home-training can become effective strategy for Japanese older people in a depopulated rural region. Twenty participants over 65 years old without cognitive impairment exercised for 90-min a day, once per 2 weeks for 6 months, according to education regarding an independent home-exercise. The exercise program was conducted under multitask conditions to cognition, including an aerobic exercise. Physical and cognitive measurements were carried out at baseline and after the 6-month intervention. The physical measurement consisted of four domains, and the cognitive evaluation included four domains. 12 older adults (age mean: 76.9 years, % female: 91.6%) completed the 6-month follow-up. According to statistical analyses, the walking speed was significantly faster, and the executive function also had significantly increased after the intervention. Our findings suggest that the multicomponent exercise program based on home-training can be effective for enhancements of the gait ability and the executive function for older individuals in a depopulated rural region.