Exercise interventions have small clinical benefits on  PA  levels in community-dwelling older adults , with a decline in the observed improvement after six months of the intervention cessation
Exercise is a form of physical activity ( PA ) .
PA is an important marker of health and quality of life in older adults .
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the effect of exercise-based interventions on an at least six-month follow up PA measure , and to describe the specific strategies implemented during the intervention to strengthen the sustainability of PA in community-dwelling 65 + year-old adults .
The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P): 2-year follow-up.
BACKGROUND It is well recognized that physical activity ( PA ) is important for older adults ; yet , clinicians remain pessimistic about the ability of older adults with compromised function to adhere to long-term treatment and to maintain behavior change once treatment has been terminated . METHODS We examined the functional status of older adults at a field center ( Wake Forest University ) 2 years after completing 12 months of treatment in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot study . At baseline , participants were r and omized to either a PA or a successful aging ( SA ) control group .  Outcome measures included an interview assessment of PA , the Short Physical Performance Battery ( SPPB ) , and performance on a 400-m self-paced walking test . RESULTS Two years after the formal intervention had ended , participants who were originally in the PA group continued to engage in more minutes of moderate PA and tended to have better SPPB and walking speed than those in the SA group ( effect sizes [ ES ] : SPPB = 0.40 , walking speed = 0.37 ) . Seven ( 12.7 % ) participants in the PA group failed the 400-m walk at the 36-month follow-up assessment , whereas this number was 11 ( 21.6 % ) in the SA group . CONCLUSION Older adults who have compromised physical function are able to sustain some of the benefits derived from participating in structured PA 2 years after supervised treatment has been terminated
Exercise interventions have small clinical benefits on  PA  levels in community-dwelling older adults , with a decline in the observed improvement after six months of the intervention cessation
Exercise is a form of physical activity ( PA ) .
PA is an important marker of health and quality of life in older adults .
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the effect of exercise-based interventions on an at least six-month follow up PA measure , and to describe the specific strategies implemented during the intervention to strengthen the sustainability of PA in community-dwelling 65 + year-old adults .