Functional Tasks Exercise versus Resistance Exercise for Older Women

Abstract

We reported previously that functional tasks exercise had a beneficial impact on the capacity of older women to perform daily activities and could play an important role in maintaining independence, whereas resistance exercise, which increases muscle strength, had no effect on daily activity performance. Data regarding the effect of exercise programmes on older adults' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and habitual physical activity are inconsistent. PURPOSE: To determine whether a functional tasks exercise programme and a resistance exercise programme have a different effect on the HRQOL and physical activity of community-dwelling older women. METHODS: Ninety-eight women were randomised to a functional tasks exercise programme (function group), a resistance exercise programme (resistance group), or normal activity group (control group). Participants attended exercise classes three times a week for 12 weeks. The SF-36 Health Survey questionnaire and self-reported physical activity were obtained at baseline, directly after completion of the intervention (3 months), and 6 months later (9 months). RESULTS: At 3 months, no difference in mean change in HRQOL and physical activity scores was seen between the groups, except for an increased SF-36 physical functioning score for the resistance group compared with the control group (mean change 7.7, 95% CI2.9 - 12.5; p=.019) and the function group (p=.046). Between 3 and 9 months, the self-reported physical functioning score of the function group decreased to below baseline (−10.8, 95% CI −18.6 - −3.0; p=.026), and physical activity decreased in the resistance group compared with the function group (1.2, 95% CI −1.0 - 3.9; p=.040). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that HRQOL measures may be affected by ceiling effects and response shift in this older population. Studies should include performance-based measures in addition to self-report HRQOL measures, to obtain a better understanding of the effect of exercise interventions in older adults. The improvement of habitual physical activity together with the increased daily activity performance in the function group 6 months after the exercise period suggests that people may have been enabled to be more physically active and triggered the mechanism to maintain this regained capacity.