Did older adults find short bouts of exercise and Tai-chi at home acceptable?

Details

Exercise “snacking” and Tai-chi “snacking” use short bouts of exercise at home to address common barriers to older adults taking part in muscle-strength and balance exercise. The study investigated how acceptable these routines were to British and Taiwanese older adults with high and low physical function.

Thirty-three British and 30 Taiwanese older adults took part in semi-structured interviews after trying both routines for one week. The interview schedule and deductive framework analysis were based on the seven components of the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA). The researchers also analysed differences between Taiwanese and UK participants and between those considered to have high versus low physical function.

Both routines were found convenient and easy to implement. Participants said they did not have to give up any activity and thought the programmes would benefit their physical and mental health. More UK-based participants preferred the elegant and relaxing movements of Tai-chi snacking, but participants with low physical function had difficulty mastering the movements. A few participants with high physical function found exercise snacking tedious.

Overall, the routines were found acceptable and useful. The researchers suggested that personal affective attitudes and different cultural backgrounds may affect exercise participation, and that individuals’ physical function should be considered when designing exercise routines. They indicated that making Tai-chi snacking easier to master initially, building in progression and adding some upper-body movements to exercise snacking might further improve acceptability.