Homebased Strength and Tai-chi Exercise Snacking for Improving Physical Function in Older Adults

Summary

Engaging in muscle strength and balance (S\&B) exercises and has numerous health benefits for older adults, promoting greater mobility, reducing risk of falling, and overall improved health and wellbeing. Given the rising age of global populations, reducing the burden associated with lost physical function is essential to minimise health and social care costs. Unfortunately, very few older adults engage in sufficient S\&B exercise to reap these benefits, with a lack of time, self-efficacy and access to leisure facilities cited as the key barriers. Finding innovative ways promote an acceptable and engaging format of S\&B exercise is consequently a public health priority.

One novel way that aims to address typical barriers to participation in older adults is through the promotion of exercise 'snacks', as opposed to a more traditional, lengthy structured exercise session at a leisure centre. Exercise snacking describes short bursts of exercise that are designed to be undertaken over a short period in the home environment and without the need for any specialised exercise clothing or equipment. In the initial laboratory and cross-sectional and pilot intervention research, the investigators have been testing two formats of 5-minute, twice-daily, strength exercise- and tai-chi-snacking, which has been shown to be acceptable and feasible to implement in older adults. This protocol presents initial efficacy for evoking improved physical function in people aged 65 years or more. The investigators' remote study demonstrated that remote assessment and delivery of 4-week exercise and tai-chi snacking interventions were acceptable and feasible. However, qualitative feedback indicated that exercise programmes may be more acceptable and interesting with simpler tai-chi movements and exercise snacking programme with upper body movements. Nevertheless, the investigators only recruited healthy older adults, doing short-term interventions in previous studies. This study aims to test the effectiveness of progressive S\&B interventions over a sustained period in pre-frail older adults.

Conditions

• Older Adults

Interventions

OTHER

Exercise intervention

The exercise programme is progressive and has three levels. Each bout of exercise and Tai-chi snacking consists of 5 exercises. Each exercise is performed for one minute with one minute rest in between. For exercise snacking movements (including leg exercise, shoulder exercise, single leg exercise, arm exercise, and ankle exercise), participants are encouraged to complete as many repetitions as possible of that exercise in that minute. For Tai-chi snacking movements (including single leg squat, trunk rotation, single leg stand, hip and knee exercise, and ankle mobility exercise), participants are encouraged to complete repetitions of each exercise at a self-selected pace that is comfortable for them to maintain for the full minute, with the aim being to complete the movements as accurately and smoothly as possible (based on correct posture and proper alignment).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Bath

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Max Western · Department for Health, University of Bath

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-05-20

Primary Completion

2023-06-23

Completion

2023-07-31

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations