Middle-aged and senior citizens have become more agile while the physical capabilities of younger people are deteriorating, according to results of an annual fitness test.

Some 73,000 people aged 6 to 79 took part in the government survey, in which the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry compared the athletic abilities of younger and older people in fiscal 2004 with their counterparts in fiscal 1985.

The ministry measured the fitness of middle-aged and senior citizens in three categories -- side-to-side jumping, grip strength and rapid walking.

The jumping test measures how many times a person can jump side to side between two lines 20 meters apart.

The results were an improvement from fiscal 1985, with three age brackets marking record highs in the test, which has been conducted since fiscal 1964. Males aged 45-49 had an average score of 45.91 jumps, females in the same age group averaged 40.72 jumps and males aged 55-59 averaged 39.94 jumps.

The improvement has come about "probably because middle-aged and senior citizens have come to understand the importance of physical exercise in recent years, and have actually been involved in it regularly," a ministry official said.

The ministry also gauged the athletic abilities of children and teens aged 7, 9, 11, 13, 16 and 19 in six sports and athletic activities, including the 50-meter dash.

Results showed that their running and throwing ability have declined from their counterparts in fiscal 1985. For example, 9-year-old boys took an average of 9.69 seconds to run 50-meters, 0.12 second slower than boys in the same age group in fiscal 1985.

Junichiro Aoki, a Juntendo University professor, said of these results, "Children's physical strength has generally fallen as a result of being frequently driven around in cars since they were infants.

"Japan needs to expedite the formation of regional sports clubs similar to those seen in the United States and European countries," he said.