Determining the Feasibility of Implementing a Combined Cognitive and Exercise Training Program for Older Adults in a Community Setting.

Summary

The overarching aim of this project is to implement and evaluate a proven cognitive training regimen in combination with a community exercise program among older adults who attend wellness exercise programs at the YMCA. To support this aim, the investigators have developed a collaboration with the YMCA of Kitchener-Waterloo, which offer exercise programs targeted to older adults. The specific objectives are: (1) to evaluate the feasibility of a combined exercise and cognitive training in a community-setting among older adults; and (2) to conduct a preliminary evaluation and comparison of changes in cognitive function, physical function, well-being and self-efficacy with 12-weeks of combined exercise and cognitive training versus exercise alone. The hypothesis for each objective are as follows: (1) It is anticipated that this program will be feasible to implement and will be well accepted by the participants and exercise providers. (2) The investigators may not have the power to find statistically significant differences between the control and experimental groups for physical and cognitive function. However, the investigators expect to observe positive changes between the pre- and post-assessments, suggesting improved cognitive function and mobility as a result of the 12-week program.

Conditions

• Osteo Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Joint Replacement
• Fibromyalgia
• High Blood Pressure
• Stable Heart Conditions
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity

Interventions

OTHER

Exercise and Cognitive Training

Exercise: 12-week, twice-weekly 60-minute program. Each session includes a brief 5 minute educational lesson on a health-related topic (i.e. healthy eating, good posture, etc.). Each participant receives individualized and progressive exercise program from qualified exercise providers (YMCA instructors). The programs include whole body exercises including squats, rows, chest press, bicep/tricep exercises, shoulder exercises, and core exercises. A 5 warm-up is done (individually or in a group) and a 5 minute group cool-down (stretching) is done each class. Cognitive training: focuses on dual-task training (provided by an Android tablet). Each cognitive task requires the participant to choose and execute the response appropriate for the stimuli presented. Participants must prioritize their response and perform tasks as fast as possible while maintaining accuracy. The difficulty of the training is individualized and progressive based on their ongoing performance.

OTHER

Exercise Training Only

Exercise: 12-week, twice-weekly 60-minute program. Each session includes a brief 5 minute educational lesson on a health-related topic (i.e. healthy eating, good posture, etc.). Each participant receives individualized and progressive exercise program from qualified exercise providers (YMCA instructors). The programs include whole body exercises including squats, rows, chest press, bicep/tricep exercises, shoulder exercises, and core exercises. A 5 warm-up is done (individually or in a group) and a 5 minute group cool-down (stretching) is done each class.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Royal Bank of Canada

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• YMCA

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Waterloo

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-04-01

Primary Completion

2020-03-12

Completion

2020-04-24

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations