Physiotherapy Interventions on Functional Capacity, Balance and Mental Domains in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial With Two Parallel Groups

Summary

This study will investigate whether two different physiotherapy exercise programs can improve physical function, balance and mental well-being in older adults living in the community in Angola.

A total of 350 people aged 60 years or older will take part in the study. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two supervised exercise programs. One group will participate in a multicomponent exercise program that includes strength, balance, walking and coordination exercises. The second group will participate in a reduced functional exercise program focused on basic strengthening, walking and simple daily activities. Both programs will be performed three times per week, with each session lasting 60 minutes, over a period of 12 weeks.

Participants will be assessed before and after the exercise program. The assessments will include tests of balance, muscle strength, walking ability and questionnaires about daily activities and mental health. Information about falls, blood pressure and general health will also be collected.

The goal of this study is to identify effective and safe physiotherapy strategies to help older adults maintain independence, reduce the risk of falls and support healthy ageing, especially in settings with limited health resources.

Conditions

• Ageing
• Frailty
• Sarcopenia
• Decline, Cognitive

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Multicomponent Physiotherapy Exercise Program

Supervised multicomponent physiotherapy exercise program delivered over 12 weeks, with three 60-minute sessions per week. The intervention includes joint mobility and light walking warm-up, global strengthening of upper and lower limbs and trunk using bodyweight and elastic bands, static and dynamic balance training with dual-task cognitive activities, gait training with obstacles and functional mobility tasks, breathing and coordination exercises, and final stretching and relaxation. The program is designed to improve functional capacity, muscle strength, balance and mental health in community-dwelling older adults.

OTHER

Reduced Functional Physiotherapy Exercise Program

Supervised reduced functional physiotherapy exercise program delivered over 12 weeks, with three 60-minute sessions per week. The intervention focuses on essential functional abilities in community-dwelling older adults, including joint mobility warm-up, lower-limb strengthening exercises such as adapted squats, sit-to-stand repetitions and heel raises, linear walking on a flat surface to improve gait stability, basic functional tasks such as transfers and simple standing balance activities, and final stretching and relaxation exercises. This simplified protocol targets core functional improvements with reduced motor and cognitive complexity.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Aveiro University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Rita Santa Barbara, Master Degree · iBiMED - Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-15

Primary Completion

2026-03-20

Completion

2026-05-20