Housing physical exercise program
Home physical exercise program was based on the recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine for exercise and physical activity with the elderly.23 Home exercise program followed that proposed in our previou study,18 which consisted of a combination of aerobic exercises, muscle strengthening, balance, coordination and flexibility, prioritizing exercises involving large muscle groups, lasting 12 consecutive weeks, minimum frequency of 3 sessions per week, 40 minutes of execution time and performing 2 to 3 sets with 5 to 15 repetitions for each exercise at a target stress rate of 13-15 (”a little difficult” to ”difficult”) on the Borg24 perceived exertion scale of 6 to 20 points, and the exercise can be performed in the most convenient shift for the elderly.
The exercises were carried out individually at each participant’s home, not supervised during their execution, but had guidelines through home visits every fifteen days. Subjects were instructed to increase exercise intensity using the Borg scale as a parameter and in proportion to their ability to perform, as assessed by the research assistants at each visit. This exercises were performed using the weight of the participant’s own body and with the help of some low-cost equipment (for example, recyclable plastic bottles to demarcate the signaling of the course, sticks and weights of 1 and 2 kg for performing the resisted exercises), and were constituted as follows, according to Brandão et al.18,19
During the period of 12 consecutive weeks, subjects from both groups received periodic home visits to continue living guidelines and encourage adherence to the program, but the IG, as well as guidelines on lifestyle habits, received specific follow-up regarding exercise practice and assistance to possible adverse events. After the three-month period, the participants of the two groups were re-evaluated and with the completion of the protocol the elderly of the IG were encouraged to continue with the exercises, while the CG was made available the follow-up of the home exercises for the same period performed with the IG. Adherence to the exercise was verified through the weekly records filled out by the elderly themselves, with the help of family members and certified by the assistants during home visits.