EFFECTS OF RESISTANCE EXERCISE ON MOBILITY AND LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG OLDER CHINESE AMERICANS

Abstract

Abstract Physical activity interventions have shown to be potentially effective for preventing mobility impairment and improving life satisfaction in older adults. However, few studies investigated the effect of resistance exercise training on mobility and life satisfaction in older Chinese Americans. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of a 12-week resistance exercise intervention (two times weekly) on mobility (balance, gait speed, and chair stand performance) and life satisfaction in a sample of community-dwelling older Chinese Americans aged 60-89 years (N = 30; mean age 77.9 ± 5.0 years). The study was a two-group randomized controlled trial (RCT). All participants were randomly assigned into either the resistance exercise group or the wait-list control group (15 participants in each group). Participants’ balance, gait speed, chair stand performance, and life satisfaction were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. Descriptive statistics and t tests were used for data analysis. The results indicated that older adults participated in the resistance exercise program had significant improvements in balance, gait speed, chair stand performance, and life satisfaction at the end of the trial. Compared to the control group, the resistance exercise group had significantly greater improvements in balance, gait speed, chair stand performance, and life satisfaction at 12 weeks follow-up. The findings suggest that resistance exercise has beneficial effects in improving mobility and life satisfaction for older adults. This resistance exercise program provides a basis for developing larger RCTs for further determining the efficacy of resistance exercise among older Chinese Americans.