Overall , home-based resistance exercise  can improve both strength and functional ability , but the improvements are generally small .
The intensity of the exercises might not progress sufficiently enough to produce large improvements in strength as a result of less supervision or a lack of motivation to increase the intensity further
Home-based resistance exercise is commonly used for individuals who might not have access or the ability to use traditional resistance exercise .
However , the extent to which home-based resistance exercise can improve both strength and functional ability has not been investigated in healthy older individuals using a systematic analysis .
Association of muscle power with functional status in community-dwelling elderly women.
BACKGROUND Identification of the physiologic factors most relevant to functional independence in the elderly population is critical for the design of effective interventions . It has been suggested that muscle power may be more directly related to impaired physical performance than muscle strength in elderly persons . We tested the hypothesis that peak muscle power is closely associated with self-reported functional status in sedentary elderly community-dwelling women . METHODS We used baseline data that were collected as part of a 1-year r and omized controlled clinical trial of a combined program of strength , power , and endurance training in 80 elderly women ( mean age 74.8 + /- 5.0 years ) with 3.2 + /- 1.9 chronic diseases , selected for baseline functional impairment and /or falls . RESULTS Functional status at baseline was related in univariate analyses to physiologic capacity , habitual physical activity level , neuropsychological status , and medical diagnoses . Leg power had the strongest univariate correlation to self-reported functional status ( r = -.47 , p < .0001 ) of any of the physiologic factors we tested . In a forward stepwise regression model , leg press power and habitual physical activity level were the only two factors that contributed independently to functional status ( r = .64 , p < .0001 ) , accounting for 40 % of the variance in functional status . CONCLUSIONS Leg power is a strong predictor of self-reported functional status in elderly women
Overall , home-based resistance exercise  can improve both strength and functional ability , but the improvements are generally small .
The intensity of the exercises might not progress sufficiently enough to produce large improvements in strength as a result of less supervision or a lack of motivation to increase the intensity further
Home-based resistance exercise is commonly used for individuals who might not have access or the ability to use traditional resistance exercise .
However , the extent to which home-based resistance exercise can improve both strength and functional ability has not been investigated in healthy older individuals using a systematic analysis .