Conclusions This review provides evidence that RT has a moderate positive effect on self-reported disability/function  in old people with or at risk for disability .
The effects are strongly associated with effects on objective measures of lower body functional capacity
Background Self-reported disability has a strong negative impact on older people ’s  quality of life and is often associated with the need for assistance and health care services .
Resistance training ( RT ) has been repeatedly shown to improve muscle function ( e.g. strength ) and functional capacity ( e.g. gait speed , chair-rise ) in older adults with functional limitations .
Nevertheless , it is unclear whether such objective ly assessed improvements translate into a reduction in self-reported disability .
Objectives To assess : i ) whether and to what extent RT interventions have an effect on self-reported disability in older adults ( ≥65 years ) with functional limitations or disability ; and ii ) whether the effects on self-reported disability are associated with changes in objective measures of muscle strength and functional capacity across studies .
Can elderly patients who have had a hip fracture perform moderate- to high-intensity exercise at home?
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The majority of patients after a hip fracture do not return to prefracture functional status . Depression has been shown to affect recovery . Although exercise can reduce impairments , access issues limit elderly people from participating in facility-based programs . The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effects and feasibility of a home exercise program of moderate- or high-intensity exercise . A secondary purpose was to explore the relationship of depression and physical recovery . SUBJECTS Thirty-three elderly people ( 24 women , 9 men ; mean = 78.6 years of age , SD = 6.8 , range = 64 - 89 ) who had completed a regimen of physical therapy following hip fracture participated in the study . Subjects were r and omly assigned to a resistance training group , an aerobic training group , or a control group . METHODS Subjects were tested before and upon completion of the exercise trial . Isometric lower-extremity force , 6-minute-walk distance , free gait speed , mental status , and physical function were measured . Each exercise session was supervised by a physical therapist , and subjects received 20 visits over 12 weeks . The control group received biweekly mailings . The resistance training group performed 3 sets of 8 repetitions at the 8-repetition maximum intensity using a portable progressive resistance exercise machine . The aerobic training group performed activities that increased heart rate 65 % to 75 % of their age-predicted maximum for 20 continuous minutes . RESULTS Resistance and aerobic training were performed without apparent adverse effects , and adherence was 98 % . All groups improved in distance walked , force produced , gait speed , and physical function . Isometric force improved to a greater extent in the intervention groups than in the control group . Depressive symptoms interacted with treatment group in explaining the outcomes of 6-minute-walk distance and gait speed . DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION High-intensity exercise performed in the home is feasible for people with hip fracture . Larger sample sizes may be necessary to determine whether the exercise regimen is effective in reducing impairments and improving function . Depression may play a role in the level of improvement attained
Conclusions This review provides evidence that RT has a moderate positive effect on self-reported disability/function  in old people with or at risk for disability .
The effects are strongly associated with effects on objective measures of lower body functional capacity
Background Self-reported disability has a strong negative impact on older people ’s  quality of life and is often associated with the need for assistance and health care services .
Resistance training ( RT ) has been repeatedly shown to improve muscle function ( e.g. strength ) and functional capacity ( e.g. gait speed , chair-rise ) in older adults with functional limitations .
Nevertheless , it is unclear whether such objective ly assessed improvements translate into a reduction in self-reported disability .
Objectives To assess : i ) whether and to what extent RT interventions have an effect on self-reported disability in older adults ( ≥65 years ) with functional limitations or disability ; and ii ) whether the effects on self-reported disability are associated with changes in objective measures of muscle strength and functional capacity across studies .