earticle

영어

[PURPOSE] Horse riding simulator has been developed as a substitute of horse-back riding to compensate poor accessibility and economic feasibility. The effects of a horse riding simulator for young adults have been investigated. However, it has been little known about the psychological and physiological benefits of exercise using a horse riding simulator for the elderly compared with young adults. The purpose of this study was to analyze changes of perceived psychological factors and energy expenditure in young adults and the elderly during riding a horse riding simulator producing similar gait patterns of the horse such as walk, slow trot, and fast trot. [METHODS] The participants were eighteen adults(age: 26.4±4.2yrs, height: 168.9±9.2cm, weight: 63.4±10.8kg) and seventeen elderly people(age: 68.8±5.5yrs, height: 160.8±8.4cm, weight: 65.0±10.1kg). We measured perceived task enjoyment and difficulty, oxygen uptake, and energy expenditure using VAS and pulmonary gas exchange measurement with respect to gait pattern and age difference. The participants rode the simulator in 15 minutes for each gait pattern, respectively. The participants were asked to mark perceived task enjoyment and difficulty by themselves on the 10cm-line after each gait pattern. We analyzed using the last 10 minutes of gas analysis data for oxygen uptake and MET. [RESULTS] There were significant differences on perceived task enjoyment and difficulty, oxygen uptake, and energy expenditure among gait patterns. There were statistically significant difference in perceived task enjoyment between walk and fast trot(p<.05), walk and slow trot(p<.05). Also there were significant difference in perceived difficulty between walk and fast trot(p<.05), slow trot and fast trot(p<.05). Especially, the elderly was shown greater perceived task enjoyment than young adults(p<.05). Oxygen uptake(F=131.83, p<.05) and METs(F=131.83, p<.05) both had significant differences regarding to each gait pattern. [CONCLUSIONS] Riding a horse riding simulator might provide mild exercise effect regardless age difference and this simulator might be utilized to the elderly for safe and attractive exercise program.