Music and movement with drumming exercise balls on Quality of life, Cognitive and Social wellbeing of the elderly (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The study investigated a cost effective innovation using exercise ball combined with music and movement to create positive outcome for elderly in Singapore. OBJECTIVE The aim is to examine the effects of exercise ball drumming on the quality of life, mental well-being, and social well-being of elderly individuals. METHODS An online survey was used to obtain a baseline assessment (T0) of participants’ quality of life, mental well-being, social engagement, and loneliness before the start and end of the programme (T1). They participated in the exercise ball drumming programme for an hour per week, over four weeks. Selected participants took part in a qualitative interview at T1. A total of 30 participants between aged between 55 and 95 were recruited. RESULTS Significant improvements in the Older People Quality of Life Scale (p < .001), Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (p < .001), Lubben Social Network Scale (p < .001), and the UCLA Loneliness Scale (p < .001 were observed. The qualitative analysis of the revealed that regular exercise ball drumming significantly contributed to the physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being of the participants. The social aspects of the exercises also enhanced motivation and provided a strong sense of community, while individual preferences and physical limitations influenced the choice and frequency of activities. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the numerous benefits of regular, socially engaging exercise programmes such as exercise ball drumming. Combining such group exercise and music in a community setting was found to improve the quality of life, mental well-being, and social well-being of elderly participants in Singapore. CLINICALTRIAL Singapore University of Social Sciences (APL-0243-2023-EXP-02). INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-DOI: 10.1016/j.aggp.2024.100111