Exercise classes can reduce loneliness, social isolation in the elderly – ScienceDaily

Older people are at greater risk of developing serious health problems or even death if they have no social ties or feel lonely. Loneliness is linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide. Experts say social isolation can have the same impact on an older person’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Both loneliness and social isolation are common problems in the United States, where more than a third of adults aged 45 and over feel lonely and nearly a quarter of those aged 65 and over are socially isolated , according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. But few studies have looked at the most effective ways to improve social connection among the elderly.

“As our country’s demographics change, more people are living alone than ever,” said study lead author Allison Moser Mays, MD, Cedars-Sinai geriatrician. “The number of adults over the age of 65 in the United States is projected to reach more than 70 million by 2030, double what it is now. We need sustainable ways to help this growing population thrive with age, otherwise it will be consequences. “

Mays and his co-investigators worked with local community groups to enroll participants in evidence-based exercise and health management courses for people over the age of 50 at nine Los Angeles neighborhood sites with a known concentration of seniors. low income. All locations – which included libraries, senior centers and recreation centers – were accessible to people with mobility limitations and had access to parking and public transport.

The study tracked 382 participants aged 52 to 104 from July 2018 to March 2020, when the pandemic forced classrooms to move online. Some people have been referred by their Cedars-Sinai doctor during an office visit. Others found the program through community outreach.

All participants met with a health coach who assessed their needs and helped them select one of four courses, which research has shown to improve other aspects of health: exercise for arthritis, enhanced fitness, Tai Chi for arthritis and self-management of chronic diseases. The three exercise classes turned out to be the most popular and people had to attend at least one session to be included in the study.

Participants filled out questionnaires on their social ties and loneliness before starting the course and after six months. At the end of that period, investigators found a 6.9% decrease in loneliness and a 3.3% improvement in social connection, after adjusting for age, gender and other characteristics. The study was published in American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

“These classes had already been shown to reduce the risk of falls in older adults, and this was the first demonstration that they also reduce social isolation, to the best of our knowledge,” Mays said.

Leveraging Exercise to Age in Place (LEAP) lessons were supported by a three-year grant from the AARP Foundation. Cedars-Sinai has adopted successful programming under the community engagement department.

“The results of this study are very exciting because we have provided a model that other health systems can easily replicate by integrating evidence-based programs in the community with their organizations. They don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” said study senior author Sonja. Rosen, MD, chief of geriatric medicine at Cedars-Sinai. “The health coach is the key ingredient because they make sure no one falls into the cracks.”

The health coach has been particularly crucial since the pandemic started when the lessons were moved online and participants sometimes needed help figuring out how to access the platform. This effort paid off.

Of the 59 participants who continued with the virtual workouts, there was no statistically significant change in loneliness or social isolation one month after the start of the stay-at-home orders, according to data presented by Mays over the weekend. ‘annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. Investigators will analyze further data as lessons continue. They are also experimenting with another program that pairs older adults with younger participants for individual online training sessions.

“Cedars-Sinai treats more patients over the age of 80 than any other academic healthcare system in the country,” Rosen said. “We are truly at the epicenter of this growing population of seniors and are trying to figure out the best ways to care for them so they can successfully age on the spot.”

Rosen said efforts such as the LEAP program helped Cedars-Sinai earn its designation as an age-friendly healthcare system committed to care excellence earlier this year. The distinction, which highlights tailored care for seniors, is part of a national initiative by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the States. United.