Promoting Physical Activity Among Older People in Long-Term Care Environments

Residents of long-term care (LTC) are extremely sedentary due to high levels of morbidity, frailty, functional limitation and cognitive impairment as well as barriers created by the environment, attitudes of both staff and residents towards activity and inflexible care routines. Multi-component exercise including resistance training, walking, balance and functional exercise appears to be safe and potentially beneficial in terms of increasing activity levels and maintaining functional ability. Interventions can be delivered either through structured exercise programmes or by integrating more activity into daily routines. Frequent, ongoing and tailored exercise aimed at residents’ preferences is likely to be optimal for adherence and effect.