Division of Physical Education

1. Development of training programs and facilities to promote health and fitness.
2. Health Promotion for senior citizens.
3. Development and appropriate installation of fitness facilities.

We, the staff of the Division of Physical Education, have been carrying on research into the promotion of excellent mental as well as physical health, which is one of the essential conditions of human well being. We aim to urge and implement the so-called THP (Total Health Promotion Plan) advocated by the Ministry of Labor, with special regard to program-making and facility improvement. Furthermore, with a view to creating better fitness programs for senior citizens, we have been carrying out questionnaires and physical tests on middle- and old-aged people living in specific areas of Kitakyushu City to obtain information about what is most needed for them to develop their mental as well as physical health.

1. Yoshio ICHIKAWA, Sachiko MORIKAWA
   "Measurement of Intensity of Exercise of Mt. Sarakura Hiking:
   through Monitoring the Shift in the Heart Rate"
   Oct. 1994
   The U.O.E.H. Conference, Kitakyushu
   Abstract: There has been an increasing interest in health promotion among aged people recently, and hiking in the local mountain is becoming one of the most popular locomotion activities among the senior urban population. We evaluated the intensity of exercise of walking through monitoring the shift of heart rate of middle- and old-aged hikers in Mt.Sarakura, 1800 feet high, in Kitakyushu. The conditions are as follows: distance- 3.5km; course- 2 different ones, Course A, a gradually ascending path, Course B, a fairly steep ascending path. The results: Course A showed 50 % of intensity and is evaluated to be well suited for fitness exercise or for beginner-hikers. On the other hand, Course B had 75 % of intensity, which means it is suitable for hardier or intermediate/advanced hikers.

2. Yoshio ICHIKAWA, Sachiko MORIKAWA
   "The Shift in the Heart Rate monitored on Senior Sports Event Participants"
   Sep. 1995
   Kyushu Society of Physical Education Conference, Kitakyushu
   Abstract: What services should be provided to help the increasing aged population maintain their health? It is one of the most important problems we are confronted with in an aging society. As one of the solutions to this problem, Kitakyushu has founded 2 health-related facilities easily accessible to senior citizens. At one of them a senior sports meeting took place, and we investigated the intensity of exercise of various types of event by monitoring the shift of the participants' heart beats. As a result, it was proved that light gymnastics and folk dance in which all the participants took part provided a moderate amount of exercise showing 40 ~ 50 % of intensity. Secondly, the motion load on the heart of these senior participants differs considerably between individuals, depending upon their health conditions, exercise habits and type of event. This investigation suggests, therefore, that organizers of sports meetings are recommended to perform health check-ups beforehand including check of the participants' daily exercise habits, and give appropriate advice in their entry decisions.

1. Safety in swimming
2. Basic techniques of Sports
3. Sports useful for health promotion
4. Fitness
5. How to enjoy sports
6. Safety education in sports