[More exercise for seniors: report of program evaluation]. / Meer bewegen voor ouderen gymnastiek: verslag van een evaluatiestudie.

Since 1980, More Exercise for Seniors (MBvO in Dutch) has provided a number of special physical activities for the elderly. The aim is to improve social participation and integration, and to prevent a need for care. Despite the fact that MBvO has been active for more than 25 years, and weekly 300,000 people participate in gymnastics, swimming, dancing, etc, no effect on fitness and health has been proven to date. The study was carried out in two regions: Drenthe and Zuid-Holland. Using the GALM (Groningen Active Living Model) method, 4600 independently living people aged 65 years and older were asked to participate in a motor fitness test. Of the 721 people who participated, 386 (the least fit) were invited to take part in the study. They were than randomly divided into an experimental and a control group. The experimental group did gymnastics once or twice a week. The control group received a health educational program. Assessments were carried out at pretest and posttest (10 weeks). In the groups offered MBvO gymnastics once a week, no effects were found on subjective health, physical performance or quality of life and only minor effects on physical fitness. In the groups offered MBvO gymnastics twice a week, some beneficial quality of life effects were found in the least physically active people at baseline. It is recommended that the frequency and intensity of the regular MBvO gymnastics should be increased, to emphasize the importance of health education, and that relatively inactive and older individuals (70+) should be recruited.

[Health-related fitness of sedentary elderly in the Netherlands]. / Gezondheidsgerelateerde fitheid van sedentaire senioren in Nederland.

The assessment of fitness is a component of a national project aimed at the enhancement of physical avtivity among sedentary older adults, aged 55-65 year in the Netherlands. Deterioration in physical functioning may be improved through an exercise programme. Research showed that enhancement of physical activity results in improved fitness, increased functional ability and health-related quality of life. Scientific results of the association between exercise and physical fitness in older adults is not sufficiently evidence-based in the Netherlands. In order to support health policy interventions 5.584 fitness tests of sedentary older adults were analyzed. The fitness was assessed by the Groninger Fitnesstest for Elderly (GFE). The analysis of physical fitness in sedentary older adults showed a lower fitness status among the age group 55-65 of age and women. Health risk factors such as overweight and having a chronic disease explained 88% of the variance between a low fitness and a high fitness profile.

Once a week is not enough: effects of a widely implemented group based exercise programme for older adults; a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of gymnastics on the health related quality of life (HRQoL) and functional status of independently living people, aged 65 to 80 years. Gymnastics formed part of the More Exercise for Seniors (MBvO in Dutch) programme, a group based exercise programme for older adults in the Netherlands. It has been widely implemented since 1980. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial with pretest and post-test measurements. INTERVENTION: The exercise programme given by experienced instructors lasted 10 weeks and was given weekly (MBvO1; n = 125, six groups) or twice weekly (MBvO2; n = 68, six groups). The control group (n = 193) was offered a health education programme. SETTING: Community dwelling of older people, with a comparatively low level of fitness as assessed with the Groningen Fitness test for the Elderly. RESULTS: No significant effects were found on the HRQoL (Vitality Plus Scale, TAAQoL, and RAND-36) and the functional status (Physical Performance Test and the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale). The MBvO2 group, with a low level of physical activity at baseline, showed the only improvement found on the Vitality Plus Scale (F = 4.53; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: MBvO gymnastics once a week did not provide benefits in HRQoL and functional status after 10 weeks. However, participants with a low level of physical activity may benefit from MBvO gymnastics if they participate twice a week. To improve the health of the general public, sedentary older adults should be recruited and encouraged to combine MBvO with the health enhancing physical activity guidelines.