Study objectives
Age related changes in sleep result in an increasing prevalence of poor sleep in mid-aged and older adults. Although physical activity has shown to benefit sleep in studies in controlled settings, this has not yet been examined in a real-life lifestyle program. The aims of this study were to: 1) examine the effects of a lifestyle program on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and objective and subjective sleep in adults aged 55+ years; and 2) examine if the effects differed between good and poor sleepers.
Methods
This controlled pretest-posttest trial examined the effects of the 12-week group-based real-life lifestyle program ‘Lekker Actief’ on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (measured using accelerometers) and sleep (measured using accelerometers and the Pittsburgh Sleep quality Index, PSQI). The main component of the program was a 12-week progressive walking program, complemented by an optional muscle strengthening program and one educational session on healthy nutrition. Of the 451 participants who were tested pre-intervention, 357 participants completed the posttest assessment (200 in the intervention group and 157 in the control group). Effects on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and on objective sleep (sleep efficiency, total sleep time, wake time after sleep onset (WASO) and number of awakenings) as well as subjective sleep (sleep quality) were examined in crude and in adjusted multiple regression models. An interaction term between program (control versus intervention) and sleep category (good and poor) was included in all models.
Results
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels significantly increased in the intervention group compared with the control group (43,02 min per day; 95%CI: 12.83–73.22; fully adjusted model). The interaction terms revealed no differences between good and poor sleepers regarding the effect of the intervention on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. There were no significant effects on sleep, except for good sleepers who showed an increase in number of awakenings/night by 1.44 (CI 95% 0.49; 2.24).
Conclusions
Although this program was effective in increasing physical activity, it did not improve sleep. Lifestyle programs should be promoted to increase physical activity, but more is needed to improve sleep as well.
Healthy ageing has been described by WHO in 2015 as ‘the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age’ [1]. Physical activity (PA) is an important determinant of healthy ageing as it has been positively associated with several health outcomes in adults, such as a decreased risk for all-cause mortality, diabetes type 2, cardiovascular disease, cancer and hypertension [2, 3]. Moreover, regular PA has shown to improve aspects of physical and mental health that are particularly important for older adults, such as balance, cognitive function, functional ability, sleep and the immune system [4, 5].
PA has been defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure [6]. Despite the established positive associations between regular PA and health outcomes, the proportion of people meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations of at least 150 min of moderate intensity physical activity (MPA), or 75 min vigorous intensity physical activity (VPA) per week decreases with age . Muscle strengthening program
The secondary component of this lifestyle program involved the muscle strengthening exercises. All meeting points were offered the opportunity to provide peer-led group-based sessions with muscle strengthening exercises once a week. Meeting points that offered these exercises, encouraged the participants to follow the strengthening session in group. The participants were also offered a home-based exercise manual to continue these exercises at home. The muscle strengthening exercise program was not as structured as the walking program considering meeting points were left free in their choice if and how to organise the muscle strengthening program.
You must be logged in to post a comment.