Paper Title
STUDYİNG THE IMPACT OF PHYSİCAL ACTİVİTY AND INTERMİTTENT FASTİNG ON PROMOTİNG HEALTHY AGİNG İN ELDERLY RESİDENTS OF A NURSİNG HOME

Abstract
Given the remarkable increase in life expectancy during the 20th century in numerous countries across the globe, it has become crucial to prioritize and plan for the health needs of the elderly.Simple daily exercises and minor dietary adjustments can significantly improve the health and independence of the elderly.Our research focused on exploring the potential effects of Bocce and intermittent fasting practices on the aging processes of sedentary elderly individuals. Sixty elderly participants (28 males, 32 females) with an average age of 69.5±6.7 years were included in the study and divided into four groups: Control, Intermittent Fasting (IF), Bocce (Bo), and Bocce and Intermittent Fasting Group (Bo+IF).The Control group did not undergo any intervention. The IF group followed a food restriction schedule for 16 hours on two days per week, and the Bo group engaged in Bocce games five days a week.The Bo+IF group underwent intermittent fasting twice a week and also played Bocce five days a week. Body analyses and certain parameters were assessed before and after the 12-week interventions. We also assessed changes in cognitive status by using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), and Beck Depression Scale. Upon analyzing the collected data, it was observed that body weight, body fat ratio, lipid, LDL, triglyceride, HOMA-IR, and myostatin values significantly decreased in the IF, Bo, Bo+IF groups. Meanwhile, CK and BDNF values exhibited an increase (p<0.05).The mean scores from the MMSE and MoCA test scales showed a significant increase in the IF, Bo, and Bo+IF groups whereas there was a noticeable decrease in the mean scores from the Beck depression test scale (p<0.05). These findings suggest that engaging in exercise, intermittent fasting, or a combination of both could potentially help prevent age-related muscle loss, mitigate the development of metabolic disorders, and enhance cognitive functioning in older individuals. Keywords - Aging, Bocce Ball, İntermittent Fasting, Exercise.