Purpose: with the progressive aging of the population and the high prevalence of functional decline in long-term care settings, promoting physical activity in older adults has become a public health priority. martial arts, such as taekwondo, are emerging as promising tools for adapted physical activity due to their multimodal nature. the purpose of this study was to explore the effects of an adapted taekwondo intervention on the functional capacity of elderly individuals living in a care home facility. specifically, the study aimed to assess changes in muscular strength, flexibility, mobility, and joint range of motion following a six-month intervention. methods: the participants are care home residents. participants were stratified by mobility status (ambulatory and non-ambulatory) and assessed using standard physical performance tests: the senior fitness test battery, handgrip test, and short physical performance battery (sppb) for ambulatory subjects, and a subset of the same tests plus joint mobility assessments for non-ambulatory subjects. the intervention included two weekly adapted taekwondo sessions for six months, supervised by certified instructors. pre- and post-intervention data were analyzed with paired t-tests or wilcoxon signed-rank tests, depending on normality assumptions. results: nineteen care home residents (13 ambulatory and six nonambulatory) aged ≥ 65 years participated in the program ambulatory participants showed statistically significant improvements in upper limb strength (arm curl test, p<0.05 bilaterally) and in lower limb flexibility (chair sit and reach, p<0.05 left side). no significant improvements were detected in sppb scores or lower limb strength. among non-ambulatory participants, significant gains were observed in head mobility (flexion and left torsion, p<0.05) and elbow extension (p<0.05 bilaterally). improvements in arm curl strength were more evident in the dominant limb, though not always statistically significant. conclusions: the results suggest that a structured adapted taekwondo interventions can induce measurable improvements in physical function, particularly in upper body strength and mobility, even among elderly individuals. this supports the feasibility and efficacy of implementing martial arts-based interventions in residential care settings as a good strategy for active aging.
Functional and motor abilities changes induced by an adapted taekwondo-based intervention in elderly care home residents: preliminary results
Zinno R.;
2025
Abstract
Purpose: with the progressive aging of the population and the high prevalence of functional decline in long-term care settings, promoting physical activity in older adults has become a public health priority. martial arts, such as taekwondo, are emerging as promising tools for adapted physical activity due to their multimodal nature. the purpose of this study was to explore the effects of an adapted taekwondo intervention on the functional capacity of elderly individuals living in a care home facility. specifically, the study aimed to assess changes in muscular strength, flexibility, mobility, and joint range of motion following a six-month intervention. methods: the participants are care home residents. participants were stratified by mobility status (ambulatory and non-ambulatory) and assessed using standard physical performance tests: the senior fitness test battery, handgrip test, and short physical performance battery (sppb) for ambulatory subjects, and a subset of the same tests plus joint mobility assessments for non-ambulatory subjects. the intervention included two weekly adapted taekwondo sessions for six months, supervised by certified instructors. pre- and post-intervention data were analyzed with paired t-tests or wilcoxon signed-rank tests, depending on normality assumptions. results: nineteen care home residents (13 ambulatory and six nonambulatory) aged ≥ 65 years participated in the program ambulatory participants showed statistically significant improvements in upper limb strength (arm curl test, p<0.05 bilaterally) and in lower limb flexibility (chair sit and reach, p<0.05 left side). no significant improvements were detected in sppb scores or lower limb strength. among non-ambulatory participants, significant gains were observed in head mobility (flexion and left torsion, p<0.05) and elbow extension (p<0.05 bilaterally). improvements in arm curl strength were more evident in the dominant limb, though not always statistically significant. conclusions: the results suggest that a structured adapted taekwondo interventions can induce measurable improvements in physical function, particularly in upper body strength and mobility, even among elderly individuals. this supports the feasibility and efficacy of implementing martial arts-based interventions in residential care settings as a good strategy for active aging.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
