COVID-19 and Social Isolation: A Case for Why Home-Based Resistance Training Is Needed to Maintain Musculoskeletal and Psychosocial Health for Older Adults

Abstract

The coronavirus disease outbreak in China has become the world’s leading health headline and is causing major panic and public concerns. Public health guidelines in many countries are suggesting that people stay at home to avoid human-to-human transmission of the virus, which may lead to reduced physical activity and greater feelings of isolation. Such effects may be particularly problematic in older adults due to their reduced physical capacities and their potential for increased mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. A potential way to minimize many of these side effects of stay-at-home guidelines may be progressive home-based resistance training. A simple way to provide progressive overload in home-based resistance training may involve elastic resistance, which has been demonstrated to provide similar benefits to traditional resistance training equipment typically found in gymnasiums. Recommendations on how older adults can safely and effectively perform elastic resistance training at home are provided.

Home Confinement in Previously Active Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Physical Fitness and Physical Activity Behavior and Their Relationship With Depressive Symptoms

“…The potential role of physical activity in mitigating depressive symptoms in older adults seems in line with other studies ( Kandola et al, 2019 ) conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging research on the efficacy of home-based exercise training programs to maintain and improve PA levels and physical fitness during home confinement is now becoming available ( Marcos-Pardo et al, 2020 ) and could be a way to mitigate the negative mental health impact of confinement. Moreover, many of the adopted strategies for exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic had involved technologies and virtual meetings reducing the possible negative effects of social distancing and isolation, keeping people active and in touch with each other ( Armitage and Nellums, 2020 ; Burtscher et al, 2020 ; Jiménez-Pavón et al, 2020 ).…”

Impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on mobility of older adults: A scoping review

“…In general, the selected studies offered the practice of physical exercises at home to improve mobility, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and muscle contraction, preventing the onset of chronic diseases and reducing the risk of falls and fractures, as a first‐level recommendation. Interventions proposed in the articles (Hartmann‐Boyce et al, 2020 ; Jiménez‐Pavón et al, 2020 ; Lakicevic et al, 2020 ; Marcos‐Pardo et al, 2020 ; Ricci et al, 2020 ; Saúde, 2020 ; Sepúlveda‐Loyola et al, 2020 ; World Health Organisation, 2020 ) are based on guidelines of the World Health Organisation and suggest orientation related to modality, frequency, time and intensity. A multicomponent, home‐delivered training program has been suggested for older adults with type 2 diabetes, and chronic inflammatory musculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases.…”

“…Digital technologies were mentioned by 54% ( n = 14) of the articles (Aubertin‐Leheudre & Rolland, 2020 ; Aung et al, 2020 ; Banskota et al, 2020 ; Gao et al, 2020 ; Goethals et al, 2020 ; Hartmann‐Boyce et al, 2020 ; Machado et al, 2020 ; Marcos‐Pardo et al, 2020 ; Omura et al, 2020 ; Pelicioni & Lord, 2020 ; Perracini et al, 2021 ; Ricci et al, 2020 ; Saraiva et al, 2021 ; Sepúlveda‐Loyola et al, 2020 ; Yang et al, 2020 ) as crucial to the dissemination of physical activity guidelines. Additionally, these technologies help motivate and monitor progression.…”

Recomendações para a prática do treinamento de resistência muscular em idosos durante a pandemia do COVID-19

“…A partir das evidências analisadas, observa-se que a maioria dos estudos recomendam o TR domiciliar, isolado ou combinado com outros exercícios físicos (Chaabene et al, 2021;Lakicevic et al, 2020;Machado, Pinto, Brusco, Cadore, & Radaelli, 2020;Marcos-Pardo, Espeso-García, López-Vivancos, Abelleira Lamela, & Keogh, 2020;Scartoni et al, 2020;Vitale et al, 2020). O objetivo dos exercícios em domicílio é manter e melhorar a saúde geral de forma segura, promover a independência funcional, e prevenir o potencial agravamento das doenças causadas pela falta de movimento corporal e gasto energético (Lakicevic et al, 2020).…”