Effect of static stretching guidance given by older exercise volunteers together with the use of diaries among community-dwelling older adults

: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of static stretching guidance given by older exercise volunteers together with the use of diaries on stretching frequency and flexibility among community-dwelling older adults. Subjects and Methods:This study was a randomized controlled trial. Seventy-five older adults were randomly assigned to three groups: “Classroom + Diary Group”for stretching guidance using diaries,“Classroom Group”for stretching guidance only, and “Diary Group”for the distribution of diaries only. Older exercise volunteers conducted one classroom session (60 min) per week for 8 weeks. The main outcome measures included stretching frequency and flexibility. Results: Compared with the “Classroom Group”, the “Classroom + Diary Group”and the “Diary Group”showed a significant increase in stretching frequency. There was no significant group-by-time interaction with respect to flexibility. Regardless of the group, regarding range of motion, straight leg raising and ankle dorsiflexion showed an increase and decrease, respectively. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the use of diaries may be useful for improving stretching frequency with or without guidance given by olderexercisevolunteers.