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Effects of Exercise Programs for Caregivers of the Elderly: Short-Term Effects of a Combined Gym Ball and TheraBand Exercise Program

  • Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
  • Abbr : J Korean Soc Phys Med
  • 2026, 21(3), pp.145~156
  • Publisher : The Korean Society of Physical Medicine
  • Research Area : Medicine and Pharmacy > Physical Therapy > Other physical therapy
  • Received : June 25, 2026
  • Accepted : August 21, 2026
  • Published : August 31, 2026

Kim, Hyun-joo 1,  Beom-Cheol Jeong 2,  Yoo Kyung Tae ORD ID 3,  Kyoungmi Kim 4

1한국교통대학교
2SG삼성조은병원
3남서울대학교
4IM재활병원

Accredited

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the short-term effects of a two-week combined gym ball and TheraBand exercise program on the changes in grip strength, subjective pain, and K-WOMAC scores in hospital-resident caregivers of the elderly. METHODS: This single-group repeated-measures study included 20 caregivers at a rehabilitation hospital in C city. The intervention totaled 600 minutes over two weeks, comprising six supervised sessions (30 min/session, three times/week) and daily self-exercise (10 min, 3 times/day). Exercise adherence was defined as the combined completion rate of supervised sessions and self-exercise logs. The outcomes included handgrip strength, waist and thigh circumferences, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (K-WOMAC) measured at baseline, one week, and two weeks. The data were analyzed using Friedman analysis of variance and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: Grip strength (left: χ² = 21.40, p < .001; right: χ² = 25.20, p < .001) increased over time. Subjective pain (NRS) decreased from 2.90 ± 1.55 to .65 ± .75 (χ² = 33.36, p < .001). K-WOMAC pain (χ² = 21.39, p < .001) and function (χ² = 31.68, p < .001) scores improved. On the other hand, the waist and thigh circumferences and K-WOMAC stiffness scores decreased without statistical significance (p > .05). CONCLUSION: The two-week program was associated with short-term changes in grip strength, subjective pain, and K-WOMAC scores in hospital-resident caregivers. Nevertheless, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary short-term changes rather than definitive intervention effects given the single-group design and absence of direct measures of underlying mechanisms.

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