When older patients are admitted to the hospital where they may be forced to become inactive leading to ‘post-hospital syndrome’. This syndrome is associated with a period of vulnerability after recovery that causes various health conditions and even disability. A new research states that asking elderly people to get out of their bed and moving more can help avoid physical decline, even though there has been no clarity about what type of or how of an activity might be effective to bring about the desired changes.
To find an answer to the abovesaid, researchers assessed published clinical trials that involved people above the age of 50 years who had been admitted to the hospital for serious illnesses. The study included 19 clinical trials, published between 2000-2022, involving 3842 participants.
After pooling in the trial results it was found that to counter the effects of bed rest, either walking 25 minutes a day or 25 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 40 minutes of light intensity physical activity was the minimal dose. For optimal improvements in one’s physical function, it was estimated to be either 50 minutes of slow walking a day or 40 minutes of combined activities like 20 minutes of aerobics and 20 minutes of exercises with resistance bands.
The study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that a mix of physical activity in any one daily session and slow-paced walking were the most effective. But even just walking was 80% effective.
So, if walking being the most potent intervention is provided, the beneficial effects of in-hospital supervised physical activity programs can be maximized with just 25 minutes per day of slow-paced walking which seems to be an achievable target for most hospitalized older adults. Thus, this meta-analysis has provided us with critical information to support the use of physical activity as a core part of the daily routine of acutely hospitalized older adults.
Source: india times
