Instructors' Perceptions of Mostly Seated Exercise Classes: Exploring the Concept of Chair Based Exercise.

Katie R Robinson,Tahir Masud,Helen Hawley-Hague

doi:10.1155/2016/3241873

Abstract

Chair based exercise (CBE) can be used to engage older adults unable to take part in standing exercise programmes. Defining and understanding the context of CBE have been acknowledged as a challenge. We explore instructor experiences of delivering mostly seated exercise classes for older people and how this helps us to further understand the concept of CBE. We extracted qualitative data from a cross-sectional survey with 731 exercise instructors. 378 delivered mostly seated classes and 223 of those instructors provided qualitative data. There were 155 instructors who did not provide any qualitative comments. Framework analysis was used and informed by a Delphi consensus study on CBE. Instructors perceived mostly seated classes as predominantly CBE; they defined it as an introductory class that should be offered as part of a continuum of exercise. It was considered suitable for those with limitations and older adults in long-term care and with dementia. Instructors reported CBE used inappropriately for more active older people. Instructors reported observing improvements in mood and cognition and broader social benefits. Instructors' perspectives largely support expert consensus that CBE has an important role in a continuum of exercise. Providers of CBE need to ensure that more challenging exercises are introduced where appropriate. Further research is needed to explore older adults' perceptions of CBE.

Highlights

Exercise has well known health benefits for older people [1]
We explored instructors’ perceptions of mostly seated exercise classes, as this fits the definition of Chair Based Exercise Leaders (CBE) in the literature [11]
We present data from instructors delivering exercise programmes in a wide range of settings and with a wide range of qualifications suggesting that CBE is delivered in a variety of different settings to different types of participants regardless of training

Summary

Introduction

Exercise has well known health benefits for older people [1]. Encouraging activity throughout the life course and into older age is a health promotion challenge [2] with many older adults aware of the benefits of exercise but the reported levels of activity remain low [3].Muscle strengthening and balance training programmes that involve exercising when standing are widely employed in clinical practice and these programmes have been shown to reduce the risk of falls [4] with an associated impact on mortality [5] and costs to health and social care [6]. Exercise has well known health benefits for older people [1]. Encouraging activity throughout the life course and into older age is a health promotion challenge [2] with many older adults aware of the benefits of exercise but the reported levels of activity remain low [3]. Muscle strengthening and balance training programmes that involve exercising when standing are widely employed in clinical practice and these programmes have been shown to reduce the risk of falls [4] with an associated impact on mortality [5] and costs to health and social care [6]. Declining health and physical limitations may prevent some older people from taking part in these well evidenced standing programmes. CBE has been developed as a pragmatic way of encouraging exercise for this frailer population providing a more realistically achievable form of exercise [7]. Until recently, there was no clear definition of what CBE included or where it should be used

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