Dose-response relationship of home exercise programs on the functional capacity of the elderly population: an integrative review

Abstract

Introduction: Seeking to minimize the functional declines resulting from aging, the literature rec­ommends the performance of physical exercises. In this context, home exercise programs seem to be an alternative, especially when access to training centers is restricted. However, it is not known which is the most appropriate dose-response relationship from the manipulation of training variables to promote improvements in the functional capacity of the elderly population. Objective: to analyze the characteristics and the dose-response relationship of the training variables of a home exercise pro­gram on the functional capacity of the elderly population. Methods: a search was carried out in the Pubmed/Medline and Virtual Health Library databases of randomized clinical trials published in any language between January 2020 and December 2022. The search criteria were established according to the analysis strategy of the Population, Intervention, Comparator Outcomes and Study Design. Results: 1,427 articles were identified, of which three met the eligibility criteria. Among the main results, balance improved in all studies, in addition, there was an improvement in lower limb muscle strength, upper limb muscle strength and functional mobility. Conclusion: home exercise programs lasting six to ten weeks, performed two to three times a week, with sessions between 35 and 50 min­utes involving balance, muscle strength, stretching and gait exercises promote improvements in the functional capacity of the elderly population, especially in balance.