Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in this study, you must:
- be aged 65 or over
- be free from musculoskeletal injuries
- not be currently engaging in another form of regular exercise, be it recreational sports or structured exercise at home (once a week or more)
If you are under 65, but have a qualifying family member or friend, please do share this page with them.
What's involved in the study
The research will be conducted online using remote surveys and video calling, and all participants will be asked to undertake a four-week exercise programme.
The first part of the online survey will provide all the study information and eligibility screening. If you agree to take part, you will be asked to complete an online questionnaire about your physical activity and well-being during the lockdown. We will then arrange a video call with you to assess physical function.
You will then be randomly assigned to undertake one of four exercise programmes lasting four weeks. Guidance will be provided through an instructional video along with written instructions on how to perform the exercises safely. For the study, you will be asked to record an exercise log, and after four weeks, assessments of function will be repeated by video call.
You will also be asked to complete another online questionnaire and evaluation of the usefulness and acceptability of the exercises that you were asked to do.
What you'll get for taking part
At the end of the study, you will have access to all resources for each exercise programme. And by taking part, you will learn about ways to exercise to improve muscle strength.
Confidentiality
All data collected, including personal, identifiable data will be treated as confidential, with all data stored on a password-protected file on the University of Bath’s secure server in compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law. This study has received ethical approval1.