EFFECT OF SIX MONTHS EX ERCISE TRAINING IN OLDER ADULTS. THE RESULTS OF THE ERASMUS PLUS PACE PROJECT
Abstract
The PACE (Physical Activity Enhancement) Project is a European Erasmus + KA2 project, funding by European Commission, who keeps in contact five organizations from five different European countries to create a manual about physical exercise programs for older adults. 132 adults from four different countries participate in a six-month pilot program, with different activities in the four different countries. Participants were divided into two groups, one of younger elders, from 50 to 65 years, and another of old elders, 65-75 years old. All the activities were designed to include aerobic and strength exercises. Physical fitness and well-being vitality were measured before and after six months of practice, all aggregated or divided in two blocks of three months separated by 3 months holiday period. Both groups improve leg strength and vitality well-being, and the older elders also improve aerobic resistance and arm strength. There were no differences between countries in the improvements, neither were differences between the six months continuum training or divided into two blocks of three months. All the activities described in de PACE document seems to have the same efficiency to improve physical fitness in older adults and offers different ways to achieve it.
