Our survey tested whether certain selected cognitive abilities of the elderly can be influenced
by an experimental intervention, and whether their health mark would improve after the
experiment. The experiment included 80 elderly people, randomly divided into four groups. In
the experimental groups they did exercises for aerobic endurance development, cognitive
exercises, or a combination of both. Group four was our control group. To check the results the
recall word test was used, which helped us check working and long-term memory, the Stroop
test to check selective attention and processing speed as well as working memory; the test for
digit memorizing was used to verify attention and short-term memory. Our survey established
positive effects of exercise onto aerobic endurance development, as well as positive effects of
aerobic endurance exercise with added cognitive exercise onto working and long-term memory;
with cognitive exercise testees this only affected long-term memory. In group that did exercises
for aerobic endurance development the testees also improved the inhibition of irrelevant
triggers. No influence onto attention span or short-term memory has been observed in any of
the groups. With physical exercise intervention we did not see affect the selfevaluation of
health, which is used to check body functions and the psychological quality of life. The results
v of our survey confirm that proactive behaviour combined with suitable physical and cognitive
exercise is essential for quality ageing.
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