People in hospital can spend a lot of time in bed. For an older person with many chronic health conditions, just a few days in bed can quickly reduce their ability to function. For example, they may start having problems walking. This can put their recovery at stake. Physical activity is the most effective way to keep people functioning. However, many hospitalized older people have difficulty doing physical activity. Many prefer not to engage in activities they believe are too strenuous.
So, we created two low-intensity activity programs: a bed-to-sitting program and a sitting-to-walking program. We invited older medical patients to fill out questionnaires on their opinions of the programs. Patients were positive about both programs but preferred the sitting-to-walking program. The findings support adapting physical activity programs to older patients’ preferences and tolerance for physical activity.
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
