Exercise sped walking in older Chinese adults with chronic disease
Walking speed was 0.14 meters per second higher than with home exercise alone after 12 weeks in a randomized trial.
Our read
Interventions- Studied:
- Randomized trial in 51 older Chinese adults with chronic diseases, against home exercise alone (Blinded, multicenter, sample size calculated, registered ChiCTR2400080071)
- What changed:
- Walking speed was 0.14 m/s faster with the community exercise program than with home exercise alone
- The catch:
- Exercise classes and motivational video calls were bundled, preventing separation of their effects
- In the record:
- One of 5 papers on modified otago exercise program on record: 5 with results in people.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In Guangzhou, China, 51 adults aged 60 or older living at home with at least one chronic disease completed a two-group, parallel randomized controlled trial. Participants had limited physical function but could walk short distances independently.
Participants received either a home exercise program alone or that program plus tailored, physiotherapist-led group sessions lasting 50–60 minutes once weekly for 12 weeks. The added program also included video calls every two weeks. Walking speed was 0.14 meters per second higher in the added-program group at 12 weeks. Balance, mobility and health-related quality of life also improved compared with controls. Walking speed, balance and quality-of-life gains met thresholds for clinically meaningful change. Handgrip strength did not differ significantly between groups. One participant withdrew because of a stroke; another moved to another city.
Why it matters
For older adults with chronic diseases, the findings support community health centers as an accessible setting for exercise programs aimed at healthy aging.
Caveats
The authors note that follow-up ended at 12 weeks, leaving open whether participants could maintain gains with home exercise alone. The trial excluded people with dementia, unstable medical conditions or an inability to walk short distances independently.
From the paper
- Participants
In total, 53 older adults met the inclusion criteria and were recruited into the study.
- Primary outcome
The intervention group showed a statistically significant improvement in gait speed at 12 weeks compared with the control group (mean difference between groups 0.14 m/s; 95% CI [0.04, 0.26], p =.009).
- Limitation
This study delivered both intervention containing in-person group exercise sessions and WeChat video call motivational follow-up together, so it could not disentangle the separate effects of group classes, remote video supervision …
Quoted word for word from the full text on journals.humankinetics.com.
The paper
The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University; The University of Western Australia
Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 2026, Open access, CC BY-NC
Comments
Be the first to comment.