Weekly exercise programme with foot exercises to improve physical function in community-dwelling pre-frail older adults

Abstract

Background. To investigate the effect of an exercise programme incorporating foot exercises on improving physical function among community-dwelling pre-frail older adults. Method. 13 men and 59 women (mean age, 78.5 years) with pre-frail status joined the exercise programme (a 90-minute session once a week for 3 months). The main exercises comprise strengthening of the muscles in the arms, trunk, hips, and knees, as well as 10 minutes of foot exercises that comprise toe grasp training or ankle joint stretches/ strengthening. Subjective physical function was measured using the motor ability domain of the frailty checklist. Objective physical function was assessed by a single nurse using the toe grip strength (TGS), five-repetition sit-to-stand test (5STS), one-leg standing duration with eyes open (OLS), 5-m walk test (5WT), and timed up-and-go test (TUGT). Results. In terms of subjective physical function, there was a significant improvement in leg muscle strength, walking endurance, and fear of falling. In terms of objective physical function, the mean TGS increased from 2.6 kg to 2.9 kg for the left side (p=0.005) and from 2.7 kg to 3.0 kg for the right side (p=0.004). Time taken for 5STS decreased from 9.7 s to 9.1 s (p=0.037), and time taken for 5WT decreased from 4.5 s to 4.2 s (p=0.003). However, time taken for OLS and TUGT (balance ability) did not improve significantly. Conclusion. Exercise programme incorporating foot exercises can improve walking ability and leg muscle strength in community-dwelling pre-frail older adults. Nonetheless, the fall risk remains if balance ability is not improved.