Does Real-time Online Physical Exercise Improve Physical Fitness in Seniors?

ABSTRACT

The need to interrupt in-person physical exercise due to the COVID-19 pandemic required the design of alternatives. Thus, the aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-month online physical exercise on physical fitness and body composition in community-dwelling older adults. This is a non-randomized controlled trial comprising 62 older adults (74.59 ± 5.79 years, 59.7% women) distributed in an exercise group (EG) that executed an 8-month online physical exercise (three sessions/week, multicomponent regime), or control group (CG). Changes in groups over time were modeled using a linear mixed model. The EG did not improve physical fitness nor body composition. After adjustments for age, sex, and body fat, there was a minimal significant benefit for lower body strength favoring the EG [group*time interaction 1.55 (0.65); p = .020]. In conclusion, online physical exercise did not improve but maintained overall physical fitness. The in-person physical exercise for older adults must be re-opened as soon as this population is going to be protected from COVID-19.

KEYWORDS:

• Physical fitness
• COVID-19
• Real-time online physical exercise
• multicomponent training
• older adults

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Ana Coutinho, Diana Martins e Tiago Rodrigues who implemented the online exercise sessions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Authors contributions

Susana M. CARRAPATOSO, Lucimére BOHN and Pedro P. ABDALLA have given substantial contributions to the conception of the manuscript, author Lucimére BOHN realized analysis and interpretation of the data. All authors have participated to drafting and Joana M CARVALHO and Maria Paula M. SANTOS revised the manuscript critically. Carla M. CADETE did the figures the supplementary files. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Susana M. CARRAPATOSO, upon reasonable request. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xJn0Tuz-E1HkmHeyLMhcP41jT9i3pwAM?usp=sharing

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01924788.2022.2100686

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology: CIAFEL - Research Center in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (grant no. UID/DTP/00617/2020) and ITR - Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (grant no. LA/P/0064/2020).