Exercise Perceptions Of Older Adults Participating In An 8-week, Student-led Strength Training Program

With the continued increase in America’s aging population, there is a strong need for exercise programs that target older adults. Increased chance of multiple health conditions, physical injuries, and lack of structured exercise experience result in higher rates of sedentary behavior. To overcome barriers in participation, it is necessary to gain insights from the older adults’ perspective. PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to assess perceptions of exercise and changes in senior fitness testing (SFT) scores in older adults participating in an individualized, student-led, 2/d/wk, 8-week strength training program. METHODS: A convergent research design was used to collect data from 26 participants (7 males, 19 females, age 60-89). Qualitative, ex-post facto data was collected from health history surveys and semi-structured, face-to-face interviews while quantitative data included one group pre/post assessments. A paired samples t-test was used assess differences. RESULTS: Thematic qualitative analysis found primary barriers to exercise included lack of motivation, existing conditions/poor health, and time constraints. The leading motivational reasons to participate were social engagement (with both students and other older adults), maintaining/increasing strength, and the importance of staying active. Significant improvements were found in almost all SFT measures (chair sit-to-stand, p = .00; arm curl, p = > .00; 2-minute step test, p = .00; chair sit-n-reach, = .02; 8 foot up-n-go, p = > .00; 6-minute walk, p = .00) except for the back scratch test which did not change. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of a social component was the principal motivator and aligned with the participants’ desire to be valued and of service. Pre/post SFT testing demonstrated an increase in aerobic performance, upper and lower body strength, lower body flexibility, and overall dynamic balance/agility. These findings can be used to support best practices when implementing exercise interventions with older adults.