JUDO4BALANCE: HIGH CHALLENGE EXERCISE AND LEARNING FALLING TECHNIQUES, A FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS

M. Arkkukangas^1,2, K. Strömqvist Bååthe¹, A. Ekholm², J. Hamilton³, M. Tonkonogi¹

¹Dalarna University, School of Health and Welfare, Department of Medicine and Sport Sciences, Falun, Sweden, ²Region Sörmland, Research and Development in Sörmland, Eskilstuna, Sweden, ³Region Stockholm, Sabbatsberg, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden

Background: The benefits from physical activity and exercise for older adults are many. When aging a natural decrease in physical functions is inevitable, which physical activity and exercise has been suggested to counteract. Decreased physical function is associated with several health risks; especially the increased risk for falls and fall-related injuries. Up to date, falls remain a major threat to older adults’ health, with a continued increase in prevalence. Optimal designs of effective fall prevention programs are thus needed. Challenges remains in designing and promoting participation in effective programs for maximal uptake. To address this challenge, a project started in 2019, investigating the feasibility of and effects from a newly developed exercise program, Judo4Balance. This program was designed as a group-based, multicomponent, high-challenge exercise program that included teaching falling techniques for older adults over 60 years of age.

Purpose: The overall aim with the project was to investigate the feasibility of the intervention by evaluating the study process, resources, management, and scientific aspects. Further the aim was to explore the effects of the intervention in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), including falling techniques, physical and psychological functions, health status, and physical activity levels.

Methods: The project consisted of a feasibility study including 28 participants and a randomized controlled trial including 200 participants. The studies were conducted 2019-2022. Older adults 60-88 years of age participated in the studies.

Results: The Judo4Balance program proved to be feasible for older adults, despite different baseline physical status. The pilot test resulted in an adjustment of the duration of the program, from 16 weeks to 12 weeks. Furthermore, the Judo4Balance program was effective and showed significant improvements in physical function and in learning falling techniques (p< 0.001) after a 12-week intervention. The results also showed that learning falling techniques in a short period of 6–9 weeks led to sustained fall competence at a 20-month follow-up.

Conclusions: These studies confirm that the judo inspired exercise program, Judo4Balance, is a feasible and accepted intervention for older active adults. Further, the high-challenge multicomponent exercise program, including learning falling techniques, appear to be effective in increasing physical function among older adults, both in short and long term follow up.

Implications: In practice, these studies provide an important insight into designing effective exercise programs, combining physical training, and falling techniques for older adults. Furthermore, specific motor skills related to fall strategies appear to be long lasting in this age group. The next important challenge for future research is to establish whether improved physical status combined with enhanced falling techniques will reduce falls and fall-related injuries in long-term follow-ups.

Funding acknowledgements: This study was supported by the Centre for Clinical Research Sörmland, Uppsala University, Eskilstuna, Sweden.

Keywords:
Exercise
Falls
Older adults

Topics:
Older people
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Disability & rehabilitation

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Swedish Ethical Review Authority

Committee: Region Uppsala

Ethics number: 2019-03048