Support of the constructive self-concept of the elderly person in sports and health improving establishments
The most common psychological and physiological problems preventing the older people from developing the constructive self-concept and productive participating in public life. These are: the high level of anxiety with symptoms of depression, the presence of the syndrome of «burnout», the increased hostility level, the decreased cognitive ability, the low level of reflection and self-evaluation, the reduced aerobic performance and hypoxic stability. Value orientations are changed, which negatively affects the perception, emotional sphere, actions selection, and, thus, the self-concept. In order to support the self-concept, the psycho- pedagogical conditions have been established in the fitness facilities to ensure the following: – targeted motivation of the elderly person to the positive self-perception; – encourage of reflection, ensuring the incorporation of self-realization mechanisms into the sports and educational activities; – creating of the psychological environment for maintaining the positive emotional spirit of the old man. As a result, the most part of the involved significantly increased the motivation to healthy lifestyle, self-estimation level at decreasing the anxiety, the depression symptoms and hostility disappeared, the communication skills and reflective- assessment activity improved, the rates of conditioned physical qualities and functional capabilities increased.