Revista Ibero-Americana de Humanidades, Ciências E Educação · Nov 9, 2026
Functional training and its contribution to the functional capacity of older adults: an integrative literature review
By Gonçalves K, Massucato RB
Functional training has been recommended to preserve the autonomy of older adults by organizing exercise around everyday movement patterns. This study aimed to describe the contributions of functional training to the functional capacity of older adults. To this end, an integrative literature review, with descriptive and interpretive synthesis, was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, and LILACS databases in October 2026, considering intervention studies published between 2019 and 2026 in which all participants were 60 years or older. Of the 242 records retrieved, 19 studies were included, with a predominance of randomized clinical trials (n = 13) and exclusively female samples (n = 10). The protocols lasted from six weeks to six months, generally with two to three weekly sessions of 45 to 60 minutes, and were evaluated primarily using the Senior Fitness Test, the Short Physical Performance Battery, and the Timed Up and Go test. The studies converged on gains in lower limb strength and power, dynamic balance, mobility, and aerobic capacity, whereas upper limb strength, handgrip strength, and flexibility showed inconsistent responses. Regarding activities of daily living, two studies used standardized scales of basic and instrumental activities, three administered tests based on everyday tasks, and one used self-reported measures of function, with mostly favorable results, but with loss of the effect over the long term. It is concluded that functional training contributes to maintaining and improving the functional capacity of older adults, especially through components related to locomotion and postural transfers, and that studies using standardized scales of functional independence, risk-of-bias assessment, and prolonged follow-up are needed.