2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (26): 4246-4253

Exercise intervention strategies for frailty syndrome in the elderly

Zhao Yongjun1, 2, Wang Wei3, Bai Tao4, Li Jianying2   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Frailty is the result of the interaction between aging process and some chronic diseases, which increases the risk of disability and other adverse consequences due to the decline of body function. Exercise is considered to be one of the main strategies for the elderly to fight against physical injury related to frailty, but most elderly patients with frailty do not carry out any systematic exercise intervention.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the research progress of different exercises in improving frailty syndrome in the elderly, thereby providing reference and basis for the pre-treatment of frailty by exercise in the elderly in different states.
METHODS: A computer-based search of PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP and WanFang databases was performed for relevant articles using “exercise, physical activity, frailty, aging, multi-component intervention” as keywords in Chinese and English. Finally, 72 selected articles were summarized.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Among the exercise forms suitable for frailty syndrome in the elderly, aerobic training is the foundation, strength training is the core, power training and flexibility training are auxiliary, and balance training and virtual training are supplementary. Multicomponent exercise interventions are the best choice in the elderly. For the healthy elderly, aerobic and strength trainings are the main forms of exercise, supplemented by balance training, flexibility training and power training. For the elderly at the early stage of frailty, strength and aerobic trainings are the main forms of exercise, supplemented by balance training, flexibility training and power training. For the elderly with frailty, multicomponent interventions involving strength, endurance, power, balance and flexibility trainings were preferred. For the elderly inpatients, strength training is the main form of exercise, and aerobic, virtual, balance and flexibility trainings as the auxiliary forms of exercise are selected. With the increase of frailty, exercise intensity and exercise time should gradually decrease in the elderly in different states.

Key words: elderly population, aging, frailty, exercise, physical activity, multicomponent intervention, research progress