Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Mar 6;15(3):412.
doi: 10.3390/life15030412.

Stay Active, Stay Healthy: A Cross-Sectional View of the Impact of Physical Activity Levels on Health Parameters of Older Adults Institutionalized in Nursing Homes of Barcelona

Sergi Rodríguez-Rodríguez  1   2 , Guillermo R Oviedo  3 , Carlos López-de-Celis  2   4 , Joan Bosch-Sabater  1 , Esther Jovell-Fernández  1   2   5 , Albert Pérez-Bellmunt  1   2 , Leonor Cuadra-Llopart  1   2   6 , Jacobo Rodríguez-Sanz  1   2
Affiliations

Stay Active, Stay Healthy: A Cross-Sectional View of the Impact of Physical Activity Levels on Health Parameters of Older Adults Institutionalized in Nursing Homes of Barcelona

Sergi Rodríguez-Rodríguez et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

(1) Background: Institutionalized older adults represent a vulnerable population. It is important to understand that higher levels of physical activity in older adults are associated with less risk of cardiovascular diseases, better cognition, and lower inflammaging and sarcopenia levels. The main objective was to evaluate the differences in health parameters in institutionalized older adults who perform different levels of weekly physical activity. The secondary objective was to analyze if weekly physical activity levels are a predictor of health parameters. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in nursing homes with adults over 75 years of age. A total of 76 participants was divided into three groups based on their weekly physical exercise frequency (1 day/week, 2 days/week, and 3 days/week). We measured demographic and anthropometric variables, along with cognitive level through the Mini Exam of Lobo. Handgrip strength, leg muscle strength, and power were also evaluated, and C-reactive protein levels were assessed through blood tests. Physical performance was measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery and walking speed. (3) Results: Significant differences were found in body mass index (p < 0.01; ES = 0.96), muscular strength (p < 0.01; ES = 0.70), and power (p < 0.01; ES = 1.09), Short Physical Performance Battery (p < 0.01; ES = 1.46) and walking speed (p < 0.01; ES = 0.87), cognitive function (p < 0.01; ES = 1.21), and C-reactive protein levels (p < 0.01; ES = 1.73), favoring the group who performed 3 days/week of physical activity. (4) Conclusions: Institutionalized older adults with three days per week of physical activity have greater physical and muscle function and less cognitive decline. Three days of weekly physical activity is associated with systemic inflammation and better cognitive status in institutionalized older adults.

Keywords: aging; institutionalization; older adults; physical activity; sarcopenia; sedentarism.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Interplay between functional decline, systemic inflammation, frailty, and physical activity. Created in BioRender.com (accessed on 4 March 2025).
Figure 2
Figure 2
STROBE flow chart.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Differences between groups of weekly physical activity levels and the variables measured.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Jones O.R., Scheuerlein A., Salguero-Gómez R., Camarda C.G., Schaible R., Casper B.B., Dahlgren J.P., Ehrlén J., García M.B., Menges E.S., et al. Diversity of ageing across the tree of life. Nature. 2014;505:169–173. doi: 10.1038/nature12789. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cohen A.A., Ferrucci L., Fülöp T., Gravel D., Hao N., Kriete A., Levine M.E., Lipsitz L.A., Older Rikkert M.G.M., Rutenberg A., et al. A complex systems approach to aging biology. Nat. Aging. 2022;2:580–591. doi: 10.1038/s43587-022-00252-6. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tøien T., Nielsen J.L., Berg O.K., Brobakken M.F., Nyberg S.K., Espedal L., Malmo T., Frandsen U., Aagaard P., Wang E. The impact of life-long strength versus endurance training on muscle fiber morphology and phenotype composition in older men. J. Appl. Physiol. 2023;135:1360–1371. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00208.2023. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kennedy B.K., Berger S.L., Brunet A., Campisi J., Cuervo A.M., Epel E.S., Franceschi C., Lithgow G.J., Morimoto R.I., Pessin J.E., et al. Geroscience: Linking aging to chronic disease. Cell. 2014;159:709–713. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.10.039. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Beswick A.D., Rees K., Dieppe P., Ayis S., Gooberman-Hill R., Horwood J., Ebrahim S. Complex interventions to improve physical function and maintain independent living in elderly people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2008;371:725–735. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60342-6. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources