scholarly journals 257 Participants’ Experience of a Novel Group Exercise Program: Results from the DEFRAIL (Diet and Exercise for Frailty) Study Pilot

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65
Author(s):  
Pádraig Bambrick ◽  
Niamh Phelan ◽  
Thomas Byrne ◽  
Clare McMahon ◽  
George Pope ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Exercise Program ◽  
Protein Supplementation ◽  
Group Exercise ◽  
Joint Injury ◽  
Frail Older Adults ◽  
Translational Study ◽  
Diet And Exercise ◽  
Additional Feedback

Abstract Background DEFRAIL (Diet and Exercise for Frailty) is a translational study examining the effect of an eight-week multicomponent group exercise program and protein supplementation on frailty in older adults. As part of the development of this novel intervention, a four-week pilot was carried out to assess participants’ experience of the program, with a view to optimising the final format. Methods Inclusion in the DEFRAIL study requires a candidate to be deemed frail as per the Fried criteria. During the initial stages of recruitment for DEFRAIL, any individual who was identified as pre-frail was offered the opportunity to participate in the pilot trial (11 x 1-hour group sessions at a local sporting facility). Following its conclusion, a telephone interview using a standardised questionnaire was conducted on all participants to assess various aspects of their experience. Results Of 9 participants recruited for the pilot, 7 completed the four-week program (One participant failed to attend any sessions due to difficulties with transport and one participant withdrew after the first week, reporting excessive fatigue as the main issue). Amongst these 7 individuals, attendance was 90.9%. The only other adverse events recorded were delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in 4 out of 7 and aggravation of a pre-existing joint injury in one individual (neither of which prevented participation in subsequent classes). All attendees reporting enjoying the program with additional feedback obtained via the questionnaire regarding the timing, duration, frequency and intensity of classes, in addition to identifying potential barriers or enablers to participation. Conclusion This pilot of a novel exercise program for older adults was enjoyed and well-tolerated by pre-frail older adults. Participant feedback, both during the pilot and through a standardised questionnaire following completion, has had a meaningful impact on the final version of the exercise program that will be used for frail older adults in the DEFRAIL intervention.

Effects of a Group Exercise Program on Risk Factors for Falls in Frail Older Adults

1994 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen F. Binder ◽  
Marybeth Brown ◽  
Suzanne Craft ◽  
Kenneth B. Schechtman ◽  
Stanley J. Birge
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Exercise Program ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Group Exercise ◽  
Frail Older Adults ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls

Fifteen community dwelling older adults, ages 66 to 97 years, with at least one risk factor for recurrent falls, attended a thrice weekly group exercise class for 8 weeks. In post- versus preexercise comparisons, knee extensor torque at 0°/sec increased by 16.5% (p= 0.055); time to perform the stand-up test once, and five times consecutively, improved by 29.4 and 27.4%, respectively (p= 0.05,p= 0.01); gait speed for 24 feet increased by 16.5% (p< 0.001); and performance of the progressive Romberg test of balance improved with a mean increase of 1.1 ± 0.9 positions (p= 0.001). Participants reported a significant increase in the mean number of times per week that they went out of their apartment/home independent of exercising, and a significant increase in the mean number of city blocks they could walk. Performance data for nine exercise participants at 1-yr postintervention are presented. A low- to moderate-intensity groups exercise program can effect improvements in lower extremity strength, gait speed, balance, and self-reported mobility function in frail older adults.

scholarly journals Diet and Exercise for FRAILty (DEFRAIL): protocol for a study to examine the effect of a novel community-based group exercise and nutritional intervention, designed to reverse frailty in older adults

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e042408
Author(s):  
Pádraig Bambrick ◽  
Niamh Phelan ◽  
Emma Grant ◽  
Thomas Byrne ◽  
Michael Harrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Resistance Exercise ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Protein Supplementation ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Mass Composition ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Frail Older Adults ◽  
Diet And Exercise

IntroductionFrailty refers to a multifaceted age-related loss of physiological reserve. Aside from the immediate challenges it presents, it is also associated with various adverse health outcomes. Given our ageing population, the healthcare and societal costs resulting from frailty present a significant and growing public health challenge. Rapidly accumulating evidence suggests that resistance exercise combined with protein supplementation can reverse frailty in older adults. However, translation of these findings into practice has proven difficult, due to either a lack of clarity regarding the interventions used or the use of interventions not suitable for widespread implementation. There remains an absence of evidence-based programmes suitable for delivery to frail older adults in the community.Methods and analysisThis paper outlines the protocol for a study to examine the effect of a novel programme of exercise and protein supplementation. This intervention has been developed by an expert consensus group, specifically for delivery to frail older adults in a group setting in the community. The study will take the form of a within-subjects non-randomised trial. Participants will be assessed at baseline, then following an 8-week period of regular activity, then following the 8-week intervention. Frailty (according to the Fried Frailty criteria) will be the primary outcome measure, along with a range of secondary outcome measures (including physical performance measures, body mass composition, psychosocial assessments and frailty-related biomarkers). If shown to be feasible to implement and effective at reversing frailty, the Diet and Exercise for FRAILty (DEFRAIL) intervention may facilitate more widespread participation in resistance exercise for frail older adults.Ethics and disseminationThis study received ethical approval from the Research Ethics committees of both the Health Service Executive South-Eastern Area and Waterford Institute of Technology. Its findings will be disseminated through journal publications, conference presentations and other forms of public engagement.Trial registration numberISRCTN46458028; Pre-results.

Poster 5: The Effects of Community Based Group Exercise Program in Frail Older Adults: 24 Weeks Prospective Study

PM&R ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. S143-S144
Author(s):  
Jang Hyuk Cho ◽  
Jae Hyeon Park ◽  
Minkyung Cho ◽  
Sun G. Chung ◽  
Keewon Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Prospective Study ◽  
Exercise Program ◽  
Group Exercise ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Frail Older Adults

scholarly journals Rapid Transition to Telehealth Group Exercise and Functional Assessments in Response to COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 233372142098031
Author(s):  
Stephen C. Jennings ◽  
Kenneth M. Manning ◽  
Janet Prvu Bettger ◽  
Katherine M. Hall ◽  
Megan Pearson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Performance ◽  
Exercise Program ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Group Exercise ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Functional Assessments ◽  
Wide Scale ◽  
Rapid Transition ◽  
Exercise Classes

Exercise is critical for health maintenance in late life. The COVID-19 shelter in place and social distancing orders resulted in wide-scale interruptions of exercise therapies, placing older adults at risk for the consequences of decreased mobilization. The purpose of this paper is to describe rapid transition of the Gerofit facility-based group exercise program to telehealth delivery. This Gerofit-to-Home (GTH) program continued with group-based synchronous exercise classes that ranged from 1 to 24 Veterans per class and 1 to 9 classes offered per week in the different locations. Three hundred and eight of 1149 (27%) Veterans active in the Gerofit facility-based programs made the transition to the telehealth delivered classes. Participants’ physical performance testing continued remotely as scheduled with comparisons between most recent facility-based and remote testing suggesting that participants retained physical function. Detailed protocols for remote physical performance testing and sample exercise routines are described. Translation to remote delivery of exercise programs for older adults could mitigate negative health effects.

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