Physiotherapy researchers from Colombia found that a community-level supervised program of physical activity had significant positive outcomes on the physical capacities of older adults including strength, flexibility, balance, and aerobic capacity.
Their quasi-experimental study involved >5,000 adults with a mean age of 70.7 years (range, 60-97 years). The 3x/wk program included strength training with free weights, static stretching, joint mobility exercises, aerobic activities lasting 15-60 minutes, and dynamic and static balance exercises. Pre-and post-program intervention measures were recorded using the senior fitness test.
The researchers found all areas showed significant differences before and after the program in terms of the participants’ physical capabilities (P < 0.05); muscular strength and flexibility had a more significant mean difference and a large effect (>0.80), except for aerobic capacity, which had a small effect.
In their conclusion, the team wrote that a supervised physical exercise program at the community level has positive effects on the physical capacities of coordination, balance, flexibility, strength, and aerobic capacity, which are essential components for a better functional capacity at this stage of life, with improvements that encompassed the improved self-perception of their health status, a reduction of overweight and obesity. The reinforcement of these programs is recommended, consequently, promoting pre-sport games and sports championships among the elderly population, as a public health strategy. The team also noted the majority of the population that attends this type of intervention is female (92% in this study), so programs should look for strategies that allow greater adherence and participation of older adults of both sexes.
Source: Buriticá-Marín ED, Daza-Arana JE, Jaramillo-Losada J, Riascos-Zuñiga AR, Ordoñez-Mora LT. Effects of a Physical Exercise Program on the Physical Capacities of Older Adults: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Clin Interv Aging. 2023;18:273-282. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S388052.
