Abstract
BackgroundThe effects of group exercise on the physical function of community-dwelling older adults remain unclear. The changes in lower extremity muscle strength, timed up and go (TUG) time, and the motor fitness scale (MFS), over time, among older adults who expressed a willingness to participate in community-based physical exercise groups, were determined using multilevel modelling.MethodsWe analyzed data of 2407 older adults between April 2010 and December 2019 from the registry of physical tests of community-based physical exercise groups. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to assess the effect of physical exercise on lower extremity muscle strength, TUG time, and MFS scores. The durations of the exercises were evaluated by frequency of physical test’s participate.ResultsA deterioration in lower extremity muscle strength was found in the short-term participant group only. However, in the mid-term and long-term participation groups, lower extremity muscle strength showed a trend of improvement. The TUG time and the MFS score were negatively correlated with increasing age in both groups divided by the duration of participation. However, there was a slower rate of deterioration in the long-term participation group.DiscussionLower extremity muscle strength, TUG time, and MFS scores decline with increasing age and there were differences in the slope of deterioration that depended on the duration of participation in community-based group exercise.ConclusionParticipation in group exercise improved lower extremity muscle strength, TUG time, and MFS scores of older adults living in a community. The positive effects of group exercise were dependent on long-term participation.
Highlights
In 2019, the Japanese population aged over 65-years was estimated to be 35.88 million, and the aging rate was 28.4% [1]
We investigated the associations between the participation level and changes in lower extremity muscle strength, timed up and go (TUG) time, and motor fitness scale (MFS) using the following three models: Model 1 was an unadjusted model with a random slope model
The difference in mean MFS score was significantly higher in the long-term participant group than in the short-term participant group (p < 0.001)
Summary
In 2019, the Japanese population aged over 65-years was estimated to be 35.88 million, and the aging rate was 28.4% [1]. A study that examined 120 subjects (initial age, 46 to 78 years) suggested that the change in leg muscle strength was directly related to the change in muscle mass, and the longitudinal decline rates in knee extensor muscle strength were, on average, 14% per decade [6]. Recent data from longitudinal studies on aging indicate that maintaining or gaining muscle mass does not prevent aging-related declines in muscle strength, and muscle weakness is independently associated with physical disability and mortality [11]. The changes in lower extremity muscle strength, timed up and go (TUG) time, and the motor fitness scale (MFS), over time, among older adults who expressed a willingness to participate in community-based physical exercise groups, were determined using multilevel modelling
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