The Effect of Strengthening Exercise in Older Adults with Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is a condition characterized by decreased muscle mass and muscle strength commonly occurring in older adults and leading to functional decline. This condition increases the risk of falls, dependency in daily activities, and decreased quality of life. One physiotherapy intervention that can be applied is strengthening exercise using theraband to improve muscle strength. This study aimed to determine the effect of strengthening exercise on muscle strength and muscle mass in older adults with sarcopenia. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest approach. The samples consisted of older adults who met the inclusion criteria and were selected using total sampling. The intervention consisted of strengthening exercises using theraband for 4 weeks, 3 times per week, with each session lasting 30-45 minutes. Muscle strength was measured using Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), while muscle mass was measured using anthropometric measurements before and after the intervention. The results showed an improvement in muscle strength and muscle mass after the strengthening exercise intervention. Strengthening exercise using theraband showed an effect on improving muscle strength and muscle mass in older adults with sarcopenia. This intervention can be implemented as a simple and applicable exercise program in community health services.