Creating an Ancient Muay Thai Art Fitness Program for Physical and Mental Health Benefits for the Working-Age Population in Khong Thanu Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lop Buri Province

Abstract

     This research article aims to: 1. develop a Lopburi Ancient Muay Thai exercise model that promotes physical and mental health for working-age adults in Khong Thanu Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lopburi Province, and 2. examine the effects of the Lopburi Ancient Muay Thai exercise model on the physical and mental health of the participants. The sample group consisted of working-age adults aged 45–59 years residing in the research area in Khong Thanu Subdistrict, Villages 1–14, totaling 30 voluntary participants. They were divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 15 participants in each group, according to the study’s inclusion and exclusion criteria. The research instruments included: 1) Lopburi Ancient Muay Thai exercise model; 2) physical fitness test for the general population aged 19–59 years, and 3) the Suan Prung Stress Test (SPST-20) for assessing mental health status. The statistical methods employed in this study included percentage, mean, and standard deviation. An Independent Sample T-test was used to compare results before and after the intervention.

     The research results found that: 1. the exercise model created by the researcher went through the experimental and improvement process, and resulted in an effective exercise model that can be applied for working-age people; 2. the results of exercising with the Lopburi Ancient Muay Thai exercise model showed that the participants’ physical fitness, as measured by the sit-and-reach test and the 60-second chair stand test, was significantly higher after the intervention than before, at the .05 level of statistical significance. Furthermore, the mental health assessment revealed that the participants’ average stress scores after the intervention were significantly lower than their pre-intervention scores at the .05 level of statistical significance.