研究背景: 我國進入高齡社會，高齡人口健康狀況是政府重視課題之一。為增進高齡者身體活動量，政府單位在各鄰里公園設置了戶外運動健身器材(OFE)。然而對於普遍設置的OFE是否能帶給高齡者所需的運動效益，研究卻非常闕如。因此，本研究欲透過高齡者進行12週OFE運動計畫，了解高齡者在12週訓練前、中、後各項身體適能變化狀況，以此驗證OFE之運動效益。
方法: 本研究於台南東寧公園招募了30位60歲以上的高齡者，參加為期12週的OFE運動計劃。實驗分為兩部分，各12週。在實驗第一部分，參與者操作兩種有氧OFE。研究人員在每週進行一次運動心率監測，並在實驗的第0週，第6週和第12週進行心肺適能檢測。在第二部分，參與者操作兩種肌力OFE，兩種柔軟度OFE、一種平衡OFE。研究人員在實驗的第0週，6週和12週進行肌力、柔軟度、平衡的身體適能檢測。所有檢測數據透過SPSS 17.0進行計算。
結果: 20名高齡者（6名男性和14名女性）完成第一部分實驗；第二部分則有29位高齡者完成實驗（11名男性和18名女性）。29位參與者的平均年齡為66.0±4.3歲（範圍：60-76歲），平均BMI為23.4±3.5（範圍：16.9-30.2 kg / m2）。整體而言，高齡者在進行12週OFE運動計畫後，有效提升其心肺耐力、肌力以及平衡能力。但在柔軟度則無顯著的進步。
結論: 本研究驗證OFE對於高齡者的運動效益。儘管在柔軟度與身體組成等部分項目無顯著提升，但結果顯示，高齡者在進行12週OFE訓練後，可以改善其心肺耐力，肌力和平衡能力，提升身體適能。此外，本研究所採用之美國運動醫學會高齡運動處方建議也證實適用於OFE，可提供OFE使用者日後參考。最後，根據研究結果，本研究對於OFE的運動效益給予正面評價。

Background: Taiwan became an aged society in 2018. The past studies show the importance of physical activity and health. Recently, the government places several outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) in the neighborhood parks to encourage older adults to use the equipment for active aging and aging in place. However, the research about the effect of different types of OFE on the senior is scarce. Therefore, this research aims to confirm the effectiveness of OFE for older adults through the 12-week OFE exercise program. Also, to provide the operation guide of OFE and the suggestion for OFE to the environmental planning organizations.
Methods: This study recruited 30 senior citizens above 60 years old from the park in Tainan to join a twelve-week OFE exercise program. The experiment was divided into two parts. In the first part, the participants operated two kinds of aerobic OFE for 12 weeks. The researcher monitored their heart rates once a week and measured their cardiorespiratory endurance by a 2-minutes step test on week 0, week 6, and week 12 during the exercise program. In the second part, the participants operated two kinds of muscle strength OFE, two kinds of flexibility OFE, and one balance OFE for 12 weeks. The researcher recorded their muscle strength, flexibility, and balance fitness test results on week 0, week 6, and week 12 during the experimental period. After the experiment, all the data were divided into three parts calculated by SPSS 17.0. There were descriptive statistics, functional fitness test data, and the relationship between subjective assessment and objective data.
Results: There were twenty seniors (6 male and 14 female) completed the first part and twenty-nine seniors (11 male and 18 female) in the second part. The average age of 29 participants was 66.0 ± 4.3 (range: 60-76) and the average BMI was 23.4 ± 3.5 (range: 16.9-30.2 kg/m2). The average heart rate of the participants during the twelve-week aerobic exercise was 90.59 ± 16.86 bpm. The average score of the RPE scale for the older adults was 3.20 ± 1.71. The points of the RPE scale and participants' average heart rate was a positive correlation. The Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.376 (p <0.01). In the heart rate zone, the participants' heart rate had reached about 76.70% of the time above 50% maximum heart rate (HRmax) in the air walker section and about 86.66% of the time above 50% HRmax in the ski machine section. With the chi-square test, different OFE (air walker, ski machine) have significant differences in the time of the heart rate zone (X2(3,576480) =16526.49, p=.00). In the fitness test, there were a significant difference in 2-minute step test (F (2,38) =90.94, p<.001), handgrip strength test (F (2,56) =8.95, p=.00), 30-second chair stand test (F (2,56) =11.09, p=.00), righthand shoulder flexion (with Greenhouse-Geisser correction, F (1.34, 37.64) = 4.86, p =.02), righthand shoulder horizontal abduction (F (2,56) =7.03, p=.00), single-leg stance test (with Greenhouse-Geisser correction, F (2,56) =7.03, p=.00) and eyes open foam surface of the clinical test of sensory integration of balance (CTSIB) (F (2,56) =7.03, p=.00).
Conclusion: This study explored the effectiveness while the older adults operating the OFE. Although there was no significant difference in flexibility and some test items, the results had shown that older adults can improve their cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, and balance after 12 weeks of OFE training. Among them, the results of functional fitness are the most significant progress. In addition, for the OFE operating guidelines, the ACSM’s older adults training guidelines used in this study were apply to OFE. The study also provides advanced operation guidance. Lastly, the study provides a positive evaluation of OFE's benefits.

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