Here’s how group exercise classes help older people

By Gwyn Wright via SWNS

Group exercise classes for those over 65 prevents physical decline even after the sessions ended, according to a major new study.

Researchers from across Britain found people with mobility problems who had attended sessions were significantly more mobile a year after their exercise regime stopped.

Participants were far better able to walk, climb the stairs and were far better at doing daily tasks independently.

The program stops older people getting into a downward spiral of declining mobility, which can lead to a loss of independence and leave them socially isolated.

While the program cost £622 ($821) per person, it saved taxpayers £725 ($957) over two years.

At least one strength, balance and mobility session per week was enough to meaningfully help people keep their limbs healthy.

For the study, the researchers examined the effectiveness of the Retirement in Action (REACT) program, an innovative scheme designed to help pensioners who are just starting to struggle with their mobility.

In practice, this means the retirees are beginning to find it difficult to walk to the shop, climb the stairs or get up from a chair.

The program aims to help prevent further decline by providing fun, sociable group sessions with accessible strength, balance, mobility and cardiovascular exercise sessions tailored to each participant’s needs.

Declining mobility can also cost taxpayers and reduces life expectancy.

At the moment three in ten people aged over 65 struggle with their mobility.

The study, which ran across three sites in Birmingham, Devon and the Bath/Bristol area for more than four and a half years, involved 777 people over 65.

The oldest participant was 98 and participants were split into an intervention and a control group.

People in the intervention group went to sessions once a week for three months and then twice a week for a further nine months.

Those in the control group attended three healthy aging classes over the course of the year.

By comparing the two groups, researchers were able to test the effectiveness of REACT on lower limb mobility, as well as looking at how much participants used the NHS and social care.

The study was a collaboration between researchers at Bath, Birmingham and Exeter Universities, the University of the West of England in Bristol and the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Wake Forest in the US.

It was published in journal The Lancet.

Participant Fayek Osman, 74, said: “The program improved my wellbeing as my walking ability and stair climbing are improving.

“REACT has been of great benefit to me and encouraged me to continue with advanced level of activities. It also strengthens my belief that some exercise is better than nothing at all.”

Professor Afroditi Stathi, REACT Chief Investigator from the University of Birmingham said: “Physical activity carries a wide range of benefits for older people including a longer and healthier life, prolonged independence and autonomy, better mobility and improved wellbeing.

“Yet, many older people face a downward spiral of declining mobility, whereby the less active they are, the more limited they become.

“Through REACT we have shown that this steady decline is avoidable. It can be prevented, or in many cases be reversed through an exercise program that is individually tailored and progressive.

“At least one REACT exercise session per week seems sufficient to provide clinically meaningful benefits on lower limb physical function and it is highly cost-effective.

“This is a strong public health message to give to older adults, both in the UK and around the world.”

Dr. Max Western of the University of Bath said: “The aim of REACT was always to have real impacts on people’s lives.

“Given these significant results we are calling on healthcare professionals and policymakers to draw on our findings and implement similar REACT sessions in other parts of the country.

“Our studies show just how effective REACT can be; we hope many more people will soon be able to benefit from it in the way our participants did.”

Dr. Janet Withall of the University of Birmingham, who is the REACT trial manager said: “We would like to thank all 777 REACT participants who contributed their time and enthusiasm, and without whom the study would not have been possible.

“We also could not have conducted the REACT study without all our delivery partners who supported us with their time, resources and expertise.”

Dr. Tristan Snowsill of the University of Exeter said: “We found clear evidence that quality of life was improved in the REACT group.

“This alone would most likely have been enough to justify the cost of the program using the standard rule for cost-effectiveness.

“To also find that REACT participants used fewer health and care services makes the REACT program one of the clearest cases of value for money I have come across.”

The team now hope REACT can be rolled out nationwide via community activity providers based in local areas.