Effect of Home-Based Exercise Program on Physical Function and Balance in Older Adults With Sarcopenia: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

In the prospective, randomized, controlled multicenter study, 100 patients who were clinically diagnosed with sarcopenia were assigned to either a home-based exercise group or a control group. The home-based training program included exercises with gradually increasing intensity comprising posture, stretching and upper- and lower-extremity muscle-strengthening exercises, balance and coordination exercises, and gait training. Before and 3 months after the exercise program, all the patients were evaluated. The 6-min walking test and Berg Balance Scale scores increased significantly after 3 months in the home-based exercise group compared with the controls. There was also a significant decrease in timed up and go test scores and a significant improvement in quality of life in the exercise group compared with the control group. Our findings indicated that a home-based exercise program can have a positive effect on physical function, balance, and quality of life in patients with sarcopenia.

Effects of Exercise on Patients Important Outcomes in Older People With Sarcopenia: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…We did not find a meta-analysis of mortality and quality of life in patients with sarcopenia but did have RCTs that assessed quality of life (35)(36)(37).…”

Impact of Activity Tracker Usage in Combination with a Physical Activity Intervention on Physical and Cognitive Parameters in Healthy Adults Aged 60+: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Various studies have shown that home-based interventions can improve physical function, including gait speed in older adults [ 39 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 ], while evidence on the association between the use of activity trackers and gait speed is limited. To date, the few studies examining this issue have indicated that wearing activity trackers can improve gait speed in older adults [ 53 , 54 ].…”

Health maintenance through home-based interventions for community-dwelling older people with sarcopenia during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…However, the effectiveness of current home-based interventions in alleviating sarcopenia is still unclear ( Sen et al, 2021 ). For example, although some studies have found that home-based exercise interventions improve the physical performance of older people with sarcopenia ( Sen et al, 2021 ), this contradicted the findings of Chang and his colleagues ( Chang et al, 2021 ).…”

“…However, the effectiveness of current home-based interventions in alleviating sarcopenia is still unclear ( Sen et al, 2021 ). For example, although some studies have found that home-based exercise interventions improve the physical performance of older people with sarcopenia ( Sen et al, 2021 ), this contradicted the findings of Chang and his colleagues ( Chang et al, 2021 ). Furthermore, although many systematic reviews (SRs) of sarcopenia have shown that interventions (i.e., exercise and nutritional supplements) can alleviate the symptoms (i.e., improve physical function and muscle strength) ( Bao et al, 2020 ; Wu et al, 2021 ; Yoshimura et al, 2017 ), all of these SRs included a mix of older people with sarcopenia living in various settings (namely nursing homes, hospitals, and communities).…”

“…An SR demonstrated that the rate of adherence to home-based exercise among older people was 58 % ( Mañas et al, 2021 ). Among the few studies that have specifically focused on home-based interventions for community-dwelling older people with sarcopenia, the interventions can be classified as home-based exercise interventions ( Sen et al, 2021 ; Tsekoura et al, 2018 ), home-based nutritional interventions ( Björkman et al, 2020 ; Lin et al, 2021 ), and mind–body physical activity interventions [i.e., yoga ( Pandya, 2019 ) and Tai Chi ( Zhu et al, 2019 )]. However, due to the different control groups used in these studies (usual care, active care, and center-based interventions) and limited studies on specific types of intervention, the effectiveness and optimal types of home-based interventions to treat sarcopenia are still unclear.…”