High Challenge Exercise and Learning Safe Landing Strategies among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
2022 (English)In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, ISSN 1661-7827, E-ISSN 1660-4601, Vol. 19, no 12, article id 7370Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
There is limited research on optimal exercise programs that effectively decrease falls and fall-related injuries in older populations. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to explore the effects of a 12-week Judo4Balance program on falling techniques, physical and psychological functions, health status, and physical activity levels among 200 community-dwelling older adults (79% women and 21% men) with a mean age of 72 years. The 200 participants were randomly allocated for the Judo4Balce program (n = 100) or control group (n = 100). The RCT intervention started in mid-January 2020 and was abruptly interrupted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A restart of the RCT was initiated in September 2021, and the 12-week intervention was offered to two groups. This study reports the results from three points of assessment: baseline, 20-month follow-up, and 12-week postintervention. At 20 months follow-up, the control group had significantly decreased physical activity levels (summer p = 0.002 and winter p = 0.003); similar changes were not seen in the exercise group. In the exercise group, learning falling techniques in 6-9 weeks led to sustained fall competence at 20 months follow-up. Further, significant improvements in physical function (exercise group p = 0.009 and control group p < 0.001) and learning falling techniques (p < 0.001 for both groups) were noted in both groups after the 12-week intervention. This effective, supervised, group-based, high-challenge multicomponent exercise program needs to be further evaluated for possible impact on falls and fall-related injuries.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI, 2022. Vol. 19, no 12, article id 7370
Keywords [en]
exercise, judo, martial arts, motor skill, physical activity, older adults, LOWER-EXTREMITY FUNCTION, FALLS PREVENTION, RISK-FACTORS, DISABILITY, BALANCE, PEOPLE, IMPACT
National Category
Clinical Medicine
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-59527DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19127370ISI: 000815884800001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85131869847OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-59527DiVA, id: diva2:1681181
2022-07-062022-07-062022-12-08Bibliographically approved