Pole walking provides an attractive form of exercise therapy for older adults. It is a
simple, well-tolerated, and effective means to improve overall functional fitness in
older adults. Pole walking has improved upper and lower body muscle strength,
cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility in community-dwelling older adults. It has been
positively associated with balance, functional mobility, muscle strength, and aerobic
exercise capacity in older adults. Pole walking is considered to offer a safe format for
walking, as poles provide support and help with balance, and thus contribute to
confidence in being active. However, there has not yet been a study assessing the
feasibility and efficacy of a pole walking intervention in improving physical activity,
physical function, body composition, fear of falling, and health-related quality of life,
and decreasing sedentary time in older adults living in independent living/retirement
communities.
This patient-oriented, multi-site study consists of a feasibility and a pilot phase. The
feasibility phase is a single-arm trial that will assess the feasibility and safety of
implementing a pole walking intervention within independent living/retirement
communities. In this phase, all participants will receive the intervention. The pilot
phase is a two-arm, parallel-group, cluster-randomized, wait-list controlled trial that
will assess the efficacy of the pole walking intervention in improving physical activity,
physical function, body composition, fear of falling, and health-related quality of life,
and decreasing sedentary time in older adults living in independent living/retirement
communities. In this phase, our target is to include 50 residents from independent
living/retirement communities. Sites will be randomized to either the intervention or a
wait-list control group. The intervention will consist of group sessions held at the
participating communities, 2-3 times per week, for 20-60 minutes per session, over a
12-week period. Pole walking exercises are tailored for participants and progressive in
nature. Sessions will be led by trained peer, staff, or student instructors and conducted
outdoors (indoors if weather conditions do not permit). After completing follow-up
assessments, participants in the control group will also be offered the pole walking
program at their sites.
