Mifsud Bonnici P1, Pisani A1, Lungaro-Mifsud S1, Sciriha A1
1University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Background: Throughout recent times, countries have been facing the problem of an ageing population including Malta. This age bracket has a declining functional capacity, which in turn alters older adults' physical fitness. Exercise is seen as a possible intervention to prevent this deterioration and can be done through community intervention exercise programmes which are seen as being easily transferrable, sustainable and effective interventions to improve physical fitness in older adults. Unfortunately however, the amount of research regarding low intensity exercise benefits is limited, despite being the preferred method of intervention in older adults since it has been shown to be safer and have a higher compliance in this age bracket compared to the other intensities.
Purpose: This study's main objective was to address these limited results mentioned and evaluate the effectiveness of a low intensity, community intervention exercise programme on physical fitness in older adults. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyse the effects that this type of intensity had on community dwelling older adults and assess whether it would be a feasible method of improving physical fitness in this aged population.
Methods: Forty-five participants accepted to participate in the programme and 29 of them managed to complete it. The programme was entirely based on low intensity exercises and had sessions twice a week for 1 hour per session with 2 to 4 instructors every time, ensuring that the participants were exercising at low intensity. These meetings were done over the span of 8 weeks through snowball sampling. The exercise programme was designed around 4 main aspects that the American College of Sports Medicine mentions to have known benefits in the ageing population, namely flexibility, resistance training, balance and aerobics. Physical fitness was assessed at baseline and after completing 4 weeks of the programme using two standardised outcome measures, namely the 6 Minute Walk Test and 8 Up and Go Test and the data was then assessed as a whole sample and also split into two groups according to age.
Results: This data showed significant improvements in both objective tests done post intervention. The 6MWT and 8UG improved by 19.7% and 10.05% respectively with group 1 and 2 also showing significant mean improvements. A strong relationship was also found between the two outcome measures and the age of the participant, with younger participants scoring better results.
Conclusion(s): After completing 4 weeks of this programme, there were improved mean scores across the entire sample in both dynamic balance and also exercise tolerance, which are functional aspects which help increase physical fitness in older adults. Interventions such as the one used in this study can be used to encourage this large portion of the population to remain active and healthy to maintain an independent and functional lifestyle.
Implications: These results suggest that low intensity community intervention exercise programmes can be effective in improving physical fitness in older adults. They are a low cost, sustainable and transferrable type of health promotion that can improve function in this population.
Keywords: Low-Intensity, Community Intervention, Physical Fitness
Funding acknowledgements: This research done completed successfully without any funds being required
Purpose: This study's main objective was to address these limited results mentioned and evaluate the effectiveness of a low intensity, community intervention exercise programme on physical fitness in older adults. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyse the effects that this type of intensity had on community dwelling older adults and assess whether it would be a feasible method of improving physical fitness in this aged population.
Methods: Forty-five participants accepted to participate in the programme and 29 of them managed to complete it. The programme was entirely based on low intensity exercises and had sessions twice a week for 1 hour per session with 2 to 4 instructors every time, ensuring that the participants were exercising at low intensity. These meetings were done over the span of 8 weeks through snowball sampling. The exercise programme was designed around 4 main aspects that the American College of Sports Medicine mentions to have known benefits in the ageing population, namely flexibility, resistance training, balance and aerobics. Physical fitness was assessed at baseline and after completing 4 weeks of the programme using two standardised outcome measures, namely the 6 Minute Walk Test and 8 Up and Go Test and the data was then assessed as a whole sample and also split into two groups according to age.
Results: This data showed significant improvements in both objective tests done post intervention. The 6MWT and 8UG improved by 19.7% and 10.05% respectively with group 1 and 2 also showing significant mean improvements. A strong relationship was also found between the two outcome measures and the age of the participant, with younger participants scoring better results.
Conclusion(s): After completing 4 weeks of this programme, there were improved mean scores across the entire sample in both dynamic balance and also exercise tolerance, which are functional aspects which help increase physical fitness in older adults. Interventions such as the one used in this study can be used to encourage this large portion of the population to remain active and healthy to maintain an independent and functional lifestyle.
Implications: These results suggest that low intensity community intervention exercise programmes can be effective in improving physical fitness in older adults. They are a low cost, sustainable and transferrable type of health promotion that can improve function in this population.
Keywords: Low-Intensity, Community Intervention, Physical Fitness
Funding acknowledgements: This research done completed successfully without any funds being required
Topic: Older people; Older people
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: University of Malta
Ethics committee: University Research Ethics Committee - University of Malta
Ethics number: 086/2017
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
