Back to Journals » Clinical Interventions in Aging » Volume 8

Pilot study: can older inactive adults learn how to reach the required intensity of physical activity guideline?

Authors Bouchard DR, Langlois MF, Boisvert-Vigeneault K, Farand P, Paulin M, Baillargeon JP

Received 1 January 2013

Accepted for publication 29 January 2013

Published 30 April 2013 Volume 2013:8 Pages 501—508

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S42224

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3



Danielle R Bouchard,1,2 Marie-France Langlois,3,4 Katherine Boisvert-Vigneault,3,4 Paul Farand,5 Mathieu Paulin,5 Jean-Patrice Baillargeon3,4

1Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, 2Health, Leisure and Human Performance Research Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; 3Departement of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; 4CRC Étienne LeBel, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; 5Departement of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

Abstract: Most individuals do not reach the recommended physical activity level of at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise (AE) at moderate-to-vigorous intensity per week. For example, only 13% of older Canadian adults reach World Health Organization physical activity guideline (PAG). One of the reasons might be a difficulty identifying the required intensity. Twenty-five inactive older adults received one session about the AE-PAG and how to use a tool or strategy to help them identify AE intensity: heart-rate (HR) monitor (% of maximal HR; N = 9); manual pulse (% of maximal HR; N = 8); or pedometer (walking cadence; N = 8). Participants had 8 weeks to implement their specific tool with the aim of reaching the PAG by walking at home. At pre- and post-intervention, the capacity to identify AE intensity and AE time spent at moderate-to-vigorous intensity were evaluated. Only the two groups using a tool increased total AE time (both P < 0.01), but no group improved the time spent at moderate-to-vigorous intensity. No significant improvement was observed in the ability to correctly identify AE intensity in any of the groups, but a tendency was observed in the pedometer group (P = 0.07). Using walking cadence with a pedometer should be explored as a tool to reach the PAG as it is inexpensive, easy to use, and seemed the best tool to improve both AE time and perception of intensity.

Keywords: aging, pacing, aerobic exercise

Creative Commons License © 2013 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.