Balance and Strength Improvement on Elderlies with Limited Mobility Following Elderly Lifter Training Program: A Cohort Study

Late elderlies with mobility restrictions commonly received chair-bound training interventions that are less effective than weight bearing exercises. We developed the elderly lifter prototype with three-axis movement that allows personalized sit-to-stand movement program for participants requiring variety of upper body support to engage in squat exercise. 26 late elderlies with mean age > 84 years with multiple comorbidities were recruited in elderly care home. The participants received six weeks of training using the prototype in a cohort study. Outcome measures were functional performance as measured by number of modified sit-to-stand they can do within thirty seconds, movement quality based on average peak trunk lean before standing up, and postural stability during bilateral standing based on using center-of-mass (COM) total excursion and mean velocity measured pre- and post-intervention. Most participants improved their functional mobility, movement quality and balance based on COM mean velocity. 6 participants dropped out due to unrelated health reasons. Most participants were able to improve on most of the measured outcomes. Further study is needed on the characteristics of the non-responders and how to improve their outcomes. A separate training intervention may be needed to improve COM total excursion during bilateral standing for late elderlies. Trial Registration Ethics Subcommittee of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University No HSEARS2025020301