HealthySteps: Exercise for Older Adults With Mobility Limitation (HealthySteps)

HealthySteps: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Exercise to Improve Walking Energetics, Fatigue, and Activity in Older Adults With Mobility Limitation

This study will compare three different exercise programs in older adults who report difficulty walking and will determine if the programs improve walking.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Mobility Limitation
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Timing and Coordination; Behavioral: Aerobic Walking; Behavioral: Stretching and Relaxation

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 72
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • British Columbia
    • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 1M9
      • Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men and women who live in the lower mainland (greater Vancouver) area of British Columbia
• Aged 65 years or older
• Living independently in their own home
• Report mobility limitation, defined as any difficulty walking one-quarter mile (about 2-3 blocks) outside on level ground or climbing one flight of stairs (about 10 steps) without resting because of a health or physical problem

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have a current medical condition for which exercise is contraindicated
• Have participated in an exercise intervention study in the past 6 months
• Do not have adequate cognitive function to provide informed consent and participate fully in the study
• Do not speak and understand English fluently

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Timing and Coordination	Behavioral: Timing and Coordination; This intervention is based on progressively difficult stepping and walking patterns that promote the timing and coordination of stepping within the gait cycle. Small-group 60-minute classes twice weekly for 12 weeks.
Experimental: Aerobic Walking	Behavioral: Aerobic Walking; Outdoor walking with progressive increases in exercise intensity. Small-group 60-minute classes twice weekly for 12 weeks.
Active Comparator: Stretching and Relaxation	Behavioral: Stretching and Relaxation; Full-body stretching, range-of-motion exercises, and relaxation techniques. No specific gait training. Small-group 60-minute classes twice weekly for 12 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
energy cost of walking	assessed by oxygen consumption during treadmill and overground walking	12 weeks
fatigue and fatigability	assessed by questionnaire, rated perceived exertion during walking, and decrements in walking performance over time.	12 weeks
daily activity	assessed by accelerometry and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly	12 weeks
life-space mobility	assessed by life-space mobility questionnaire	12 weeks
endurance	assessed by the long-distance corridor walk	12 weeks
physical function	assessed by standing balance, gait speed, and chair stands	12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
energy cost of walking	assessed by oxygen consumption during treadmill and overground walking	24 weeks
fatigue and fatigability	assessed by questionnaire, rated perceived exertion during walking, and decrements in walking performance over time	24 weeks
daily activity	assessed by accelerometry and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly	24 weeks
life-space mobility	assessed by the life-space mobility questionnaire	24 weeks
endurance	assessed by the long-distance corridor walk	24 weeks
physical function	assessed by standing balance, gait speed, and chair stands	24 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Simon Fraser University
• Collaborators: Drummond Foundation
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Dawn C Mackey, PhD, Simon Fraser University; Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Centre for Hip Health and Mobility

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): November 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 23, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 29, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): December 4, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): January 21, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 19, 2015
• Last Verified: January 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise; gait; walking; aerobic; aged; energy metabolism; older adult; energy cost of walking; motor skill
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mobility Limitation
• Other Study ID Numbers: DFMG-001