Development and feasibility of a senior elastic band exercise program for aged adults: a descriptive evaluation survey.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop a tailored elastic band exercise program for aged adults (persons 65 years and older), to evaluate the feasibility of a program, and to determine appropriate elastic band exercise frequencies and preferences of aged adults.

METHODS

This study had 2 phases. In phase I, 11 professional experts were consulted to develop the Senior Elastic Band (SEB) exercise program. They responded to detailed description and demonstrations of the program contained on either a hard copy or a DVD. In phase II, 20 participants 65 years or older were interviewed for their feedback on the SEB after participating in 1 month of instructor-led SEB group practice. Both quantitative and qualitative strategies were included in the subject evaluation. The quantitative evaluation results were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and SD. The qualitative revision suggestions were critically analyzed and summarized using content analysis to revise the program.

RESULTS

Both the experts in phase I and the senior participants in phase II rated the SEB highly and commented that the program was feasible, safe, suitable, and helpful. The participants further suggested practicing SEB 3 times per week for 60 minutes per session in a group of 20 to 29 people.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the feedback from the expert panel, the final SEB included 3 phases with 20 movements. The program took 40 minutes to complete. The SEB program was supported by the 11 experts with 5 professional backgrounds and was well accepted by a small group of community seniors. The participants expressed that the program was feasible, was manageable, and could be helpful to their health promotion.