Objective: The best strategy to increase physical and mental health in older persons is by participating in group physical exercise, which also benefits relationships and health. This study used a multi-component exercise program as an intervention to better understand how physical activity, social bonds, and support networks relate to elderly individuals’ expressive ability for health behavior. Methods: This research included 100 healthy adults (50 men and 50 women, average ages 76.57±1.46 and 74.73±1.68 respectively) over the age of 65. Participants in an eight-week multi-component physical activity program completed the Senior Physical Fitness Test for Older People, the Physical Activity, Social Bond, and Support Network Questionnaire for elderly people, and the Health Behavior Inventory for Older Adults before and after the intervention. Results: The study’s findings suggested that SFT data in older men and women might aid in strengthening the muscles in both the lower and upper extremities and enhancing balance. Every participant might exercise for more than 30 minutes, mostly outdoors, a minimum of 3 days a week with the goal to refrain from using cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs before the HBI test. Conclusions: In this research, older people’s health behaviors were most significantly predicted by their support network and social bond behaviors, which also had a strong explanatory power on older adults’ health behaviors. Exercise behavior came in second. Last but not least, it was discovered that the multi-component exercise program’s treatments had a good impact on older persons’ exercise behavior, social support, and social cohesiveness, as well as their overall health behavior. The findings of this research are valuable in encouraging older persons to participate in outdoor group exercise since doing so improves their mental and physical health by providing social chances.
Keywords: physical activity, support network, social bond, health behavior