Effects of a neuromuscular exercise program on the physical condition of the older adult in the community: randomized clinical trial in parallel groups and double blind

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effects of a neuromuscular exercise program (ENM) with respect to a municipal exercise program (EM) on the physical condition of older adults in the community. Methodology: Double blind, parallel group randomized clinical trial. Sample ma
de up of 82 subjects, age X = 72 years (SD = +/- 5 years) belonging to the House for the Elderly in the city of Talca. Selection was non-probabilistic for convenience, group assignment by stratified randomization, and allocation concealment by sealed envelopes. Double blinding was for participants and assessors. Both groups exercised in parallel for 6 months, 3 times a week. The inter-group comparisons of physical condition were by means of one-way multivariate ANOVA. In all cases a p <0.05 was adopted and SPSS 25 was used. Results: The subjects of the ENM group achieved significantly better performance in all the physical condition variables compared to the EM group (p <0.05). Conclusion: The ENM significantly improved the physical condition of older adults in the community with respect to the application of a municipal exercise program.