Supervised Exercise (Vivifrail) Protects Institutionalized Older Adults Against Severe Functional Decline After 14 Weeks of COVID Confinement

In older adults with sarcopenia living in nursing homes, a tailored multicomponent exercise program (VIVIFRAIL) produced significant improvements in both functional capacity and strength.

“The results demonstrated significant improvements in both functional capacity and strength, with 36% of participants changing scores to “robust” or “non-frail” and 59% achieving a high level of self-autonomy at 4 weeks.”

Recent evidence suggests that exercise confers a protective effect even after short and long-term cessations, which is particularly relevant for frail and institutionalized populations.

“Despite these interruptions, recent evidence suggests that exercise confers a protective effect even after short and long-term cessations, which is particularly relevant for frail and institutionalized populations.”

Although detraining led to a 10%-25% decline in functional capacity, the improvements remained well above baseline levels.

“Although detraining led to a 10%–25% decline in functional capacity, the improvements remained well above baseline levels.”

Participants in the long-term training group saw additional benefits, with a further 10%-20% enhancement in performance compared to the short-term group.

“Participants in the long-term training group saw additional benefits, with a further 10%–20% enhancement in performance compared to the short-term group.”

Intermittent exercise strategies-such as 4-week training blocks repeated three times per year-have the potential to sustain and enhance functional capacity in frail older adults, even in the face of inevitable periods of inactivity.

“These findings suggest the potential of intermittent exercise strategies—such as 4-week training blocks repeated three times per year—to sustain and enhance functional capacity in frail older adults, even in the face of inevitable periods of inactivity [243,251].”

In that study, 36% of participants changed scores to robust or non-frail and 59% achieved a high level of self-autonomy at 4 weeks.

“The results demonstrated significant improvements in both functional capacity and strength, with 36% of participants changing scores to “robust” or “non-frail” and 59% achieving a high level of self-autonomy at 4 weeks.”

Cognitive performance, executive function, and mobility can continue to improve or retain improvements even after training stops.

“Conversely, cognitive performance, executive function, and mobility can continue to improve or retain improvements even after training stops, as noted above in the study by Courel-Ibáñez et al. [243,251] and others [[273], [274], [275]].”

The VIVIFRAIL multicomponent program has shown potential as an effective intervention for maintaining and ameliorating physical frailty in vulnerable institutionalized older adults.

“The VIVIFRAIL multicomponent program has shown potential as an effective intervention for maintaining and ameliorate physical frailty in vulnerable institutionalized older adults [243,251].”

Although detraining led to a 10%-25% decline in functional capacity, improvements remained well above baseline levels.

“Although detraining led to a 10%–25% decline in functional capacity, the improvements remained well above baseline levels.”

In a study by Courel-Ibáñez et al., significant improvements in functional capacity and strength were demonstrated, with 36% of participants changing scores to robust or non-frail and 59% achieving a high level of self-autonomy at 4 weeks.

“The results demonstrated significant improvements in both functional capacity and strength, with 36% of participants changing scores to “robust” or “non-frail” and 59% achieving a high level of self-autonomy at 4 weeks.”

Findings suggest potential of intermittent exercise strategies-such as 4-week training blocks repeated three times per year-to sustain and enhance functional capacity in frail older adults even in the face of periods of inactivity.

“These findings suggest the potential of intermittent exercise strategies—such as 4-week training blocks repeated three times per year—to sustain and enhance functional capacity in frail older adults, even in the face of inevitable periods of inactivity [243,251].”