What exercise interventions are effective in elderly population during the COVID-19 pandemics? A systematic review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Cardiorespiratory fitness is an important factor to prevent cardiovascular diseases including elderly population. COVID-19 pandemic resulted in limited outdoor activities or exercise. This study aimed to evaluate if any exercise intervention is effective in elderly population during the COVID-19 pandemic. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: This was a systematic review included studies with quasi-experimental or randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing any exercise interventions versus control or exercise interventions. Five databases were searched for eligible articles. The primary outcomes were either physical or mental health outcomes, while pre-post intervention outcomes were defined as secondary outcomes. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: There were 127 articles searched from five databases. Of those, there were 13 articles eligible for full text review; eight articles were excluded due to non-elderly studies (3), non-COVID-19 studies (2); non-intervention studies (2), and non-RCT study (1). There were five articles included for the analysis and all articles were the RCT studies. Regarding outcomes, there were two studies with significant differences between the exercise intervention group versus control group. The Otago exercise group had significantly improved both physical functions and mental health outcomes than the control group, while Tai chi exercise significantly decreased perceived stress than the control group. The exercise intervention group had significant pre-post outcomes in three studies. CONCLUSIONS: Two exercise interventions had beneficial outcomes in elderly population including Otago exercise and Tai chi.