The effect of different exercise modalities on older adults' quality of life: an assessor-blinded randomized...

This assessor-blinded randomized trial was designed to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and traditional Chinese gong methods on the quality of life (QoL) of older adults aged 66-96 years living in a nursing facility. Seventy - eight participants, who were over 65 years old, free from severe heart disease, asthma, and other conditions specified in the exclusion criteria, were randomly allocated into three groups to receive 12-24 weeks of different exercise interventions. The SF - 36 Health Survey Scale was employed to assess QoL before the intervention and 12 and 24 weeks after it. The results indicated that all three exercise modalities significantly increased the SF - 36 total score. The aerobic exercise group demonstrated improvements in Physical Component Summary (PCS), Mental Component Summary (MCS), Role Physical(RP), and Role Emotional (RE). The resistance training group showed enhancements in MCS, Physical Functioning (PF), Social Functioning (SF), RE, and Mental Health (MH). The traditional gong group achieved progress in PCS, MCS, PF, RP, Bodily Pain (BP), and Vitality (VT). In summary, all three exercise types effectively enhanced the QoL of older adults. Aerobic and resistance training were beneficial for both physical and psychological aspects, while traditional gong methods mainly had a positive impact on physical functioning. Although the study lacked a non-intervention control group, based on these results, this study not only provides a scientific basis for the development of exercise intervention programs for the elderly but also offers practical suggestions for designing exercise plans, contributing to promoting healthy aging.Trial registration: The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 19/10/2022, (ChiCTR2200064801).