COVID-19: Technology for strength and balance

Falls among older people are an important public health problem.

Exercise interventions, particularly those targeting strength and balance, are effective in preventing falls in older people. However, to be effective, this exercise needs to be an evidence-based programme, delivered to dose challenging and progressive exercise.

This is normally delivered by health or exercise professionals, either face to face in classes or one to one during home visits, which are curtailed in COVID-19 lockdowns.

Tens of thousands of current recipients will lose the benefit of their exercise rapidly if they do not continue during home isolation. Digital media may offer an alternative, and our research explores how delivery of evidence-based programmes can be achieved by digital means.

Aims

• Understanding the evidence that strength and balance exercises can be delivered remotely to older people using digital media.
• Identifying the apps or platforms that can be used successfully to deliver evidence-based falls prevention programmes.

Associated publications

• Full briefing paper: Delivery of strength and balance exercises for falls prevention amongst older people using digital technologies (PDF)
• McGarrigle et al (2020) – Map the apps: a rapid review of digital approaches to support the engagement of older adults in strength and balance exercises (BMC Geriatrics) DOI: 10.1186/s12877-020-01880-6
• McGarrigle, L., Todd, C. (2020) – Promotion of physical activity in older people using mHealth and eHealth technologies: Review of reviews (Journal of Medical Internet Research) DOI: 10.2196/22201