An interventional study of Flexi-Bar Exercise and Multi-Component exercise in Older Adults, sponsored by Yang Shang-Yu. Completed at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 65 Years to 88 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-08-27.
Sponsored by Yang Shang-Yu · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
Background: Previous studies have suggested that both Flexi-Bar and Multi-Component exercises can improve an individual's physical fitness and musculoskeletal discomfort. However, determining which is more effective in enhancing the frailty, physical fitness, and musculoskeletal discomfort of the elderly remains controversial.
Objective: This study aims to investigate differences in the effectiveness of Flexi-Bar and Multi-Component exercises in improving the frailty, physical fitness, and musculoskeletal discomfort of the elderly after 12 weeks of intervention.
Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted to collect data from a city in central Taiwan. Participants were randomly divided into a Flexi-Bar group (FB group) and a Multi-Component exercise group (MCE group). Participants in the FB group performed a 60-minute Flexi-Bar exercise every week for 12 consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, Participants in the MCE group performed a 60-minute Multi-Component exercise every week for 12 consecutive weeks. Tests were conducted both before and after the 12-week intervention using items including the Kihon Checklist, Senior Fitness Test, and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire.
Yang Shang-Yu is the lead sponsor of 4 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants in the Flexi-Bar group performed a 60-minute Flexi-Bar exercise every week for 12 consecutive weeks.
Other: Flexi-Bar Exercise
Participants in the Multi-Component exercise group performed a 60-minute Multi-Component exercise every week for 12 consecutive weeks.
Other: Multi-Component exercise
In the experimental group, the Flexi-Bar was adopted as the tool for active vibration exercises. Featuring light weight and ease of operation, it weighs only 460 grams and has a vibration frequency of 4-5 Hz. With diversified functions, the Flexi-Bar can improve posture, burn fat, strengthen connective tissue, enhance body shape, and increase muscle strength. The 12-week Flexi-Bar exercise course in this study was created by two assistant professors specializing in rehabilitation (one with an occupational therapy certificate and the other with a physical therapy certificate). The course, composed of one 60-minute class per week for a total of 12 weeks, progressed gradually from basic activities (e.g., standing with both feet) to advanced activities (e.g., standing with one foot).
Alternatively, in the control group, the Multi-Component exercise was adopted, which included aerobic, resistance, flexibility, and balance exercises. The course was composed of one 60-minute class per week for a total of 12 weeks. The design was based on the ACSM's recommendations for the multiple-component exercise of the elderly (Chodzko-Zajko et al., 2009) and videos of the National Health Exercises for the Elderly formulated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2017). The course was created and led by a physical therapist to gradually progress from sitting postures to standing and walking postures. Additionally, the intensity of the exercises was adjusted according to the participants' physical conditions; fitness equipment was introduced when appropriate.
Kihon Checklist
The KCL consists of 25 True or False questions and covers seven aspects, including living independence, exercise function, nutrition, oral function, social interaction, dementia, and depression. The total score of all items, which ranged between 0 and 25, was then used to evaluate the participant's frailty. Participants with a score of 10 and greater were categorized as the frail population. The higher the score, the higher the degree of frailty. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the KCL was well verified (Tsay et al., 2018).
Time frame: 10-15 minutes
Senior Fitness Test
The SFT was designed by Rikli and Jones (2013) to assess the physical fitness of the elderly in daily activities. It includes six tests, namely (1) chair stand test; (2) arm curl test; (3) 2-minute step test; (4) chair sit-and-reach test; (5) back scratch test; and (6) eight-foot up-and-go test.
Time frame: 30-40 minutes
Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire
Developed by Kuorinka et al. (1987), the NMQ asks participants whether they have experienced pain, soreness, numbness, tingling, or any other discomfort in 15 body parts on both sides (including neck, shoulders, upper back, elbows, lower back or waist, hands or wrists, hips or thighs, and knees and ankles or feet). The human body illustration in the questionnaire allows subjects to easily and clearly identify the location of musculoskeletal discomfort. The number of body parts with discomfort is then calculated by adding the number of locations experiencing any discomfort.
Time frame: 10-15 minutes
This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Yang Shang-Yu