Home physical exercise improves functional mobility and quality of life in the elderly: A CONSORT-prospective, randomised controlled clinical trial

Aims To test the hypothesis of a semi-supervised home physical exercise programme that is likely to improve the functional mobility and quality of life (QOL) of elderly in the community. Methods This trial included elderly adults (88% female) aged 60 years or older and who were sedentary and without cognitive decline. The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG, home physical exercise and sleep hygiene) and a control group (CG, sleep hygiene). The International Questionnaire on Physical Activity, mental state mini-exam, World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument-Older Adults Module (WHOQOL-OLD) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests were conducted before and after the 12-week intervention period. Results The study was concluded with 125 elderly participants. Anthropometric data were indicative of pre-obesity, with a mean body mass index of 27.3 +/- 4, a low-income socio-economic profile (78% <= 2 SM) and low schooling rates (76% <= 3 years of study). Most of the elderly (87%) were considered physically active with IPAQ > 150 min/week. The group of elderly people who performed the home physical exercise programme showed a significant improvement in functional mobility according to the time of execution of the TUG test before (9.1 +/- 2) and after (7.1 +/- 1) with an average reduction of 2 +/- 1 s (P < .01). The difference in the QOL of the elderly who participated in the exercise protocol was also observed, verified through the WHOQOL-OLD global score, which presented an initial score of 85 +/- 10, changing to 90.4 +/- 9 after the intervention. Conclusion Semi-supervised physical home exercise is safe and effective in improving the functional mobility and QOL of sedentary elderly people in the community.

Automated summary

The study aimed to test the hypothesis of a semi-supervised home physical exercise programme in improving the functional mobility and quality of life of elderly in the community. Results showed a significant improvement in functional mobility and quality of life for participants in the exercise programme.