Impact of supervised aerobic exercise training on habitual physical activity in healthy older adults: the Hertfordshire physical activity randomised controlled trial
Impact of supervised aerobic exercise training on habitual physical activity in healthy older adults: the Hertfordshire physical activity randomised controlled trial
Objectives: physical activity is important for health, but the influence of structured, supervised aerobic exercise sessions on habitual physical activity in healthy older adults is unclear.
Methods: we evaluated habitual physical activity in the Hertfordshire Physical Activity Trial, where healthy older adults were randomised to 36 supervised 1-hour gymnasium sessions on a cycle ergometer at moderate intensity over 12 weeks or to a control group with no intervention. We estimated physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and time spent in sedentary behaviour and light and moderate or vigorous physical activity over 7 days at three time points (before, during and immediately after the intervention) with individually calibrated combined heart rate and movement sensing.
Results: of 100 randomised participants (44% female, aged 67-76 years), 96% completed follow-up. Midway through the intervention, neither overall PAEE nor time spent at different intensities were different between groups. However, on the 3 days of the week that the structured exercise sessions occurred (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), the exercise group had a 9.1 kJ kg -1 day -1 ((2.5, 15.7), p=0.007) increase in PAEE, a reduction in sedentary time and increased time spent at light and moderate or vigorous physical activity, compared with the control group.
Conclusions: three 1-hour bouts per week of structured aerobic exercise increased daily physical activity on the days they occurred, but not overall physical activity across the whole week. Population-wide strategies such as better cycling and walking infrastructure may increase physical activity in healthy older adults more effectively than treatment with structured exercise programmes.
Accelerometer, Aerobic fitness, Epidemiology, Physiology, Randomised controlled trial
Finucane, Francis Martin
720720b1-9782-4c8e-bde0-e330a4de4735
Westgate, Kate
5a2bca45-2cd1-4a8c-ba44-57c3230aa817
Sharp, Stephen
4d6c03af-4ed2-4408-bddd-76f98e020a38
Griffin, S.J.
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O'Donnell, Martin
90e5aa17-f202-4bcc-ab34-cb68428710e9
Dennison, Elaine
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Wareham, Nick
a1f361fa-e5e6-40c6-be7b-b4fb61bd0924
Brage, Soren
3705fa6b-2018-4ad6-9143-fa9240ec0fc9
25 March 2025
Finucane, Francis Martin
720720b1-9782-4c8e-bde0-e330a4de4735
Westgate, Kate
5a2bca45-2cd1-4a8c-ba44-57c3230aa817
Sharp, Stephen
4d6c03af-4ed2-4408-bddd-76f98e020a38
Griffin, S.J.
1f8d5095-3c10-4973-a2c4-84ce6415d118
O'Donnell, Martin
90e5aa17-f202-4bcc-ab34-cb68428710e9
Dennison, Elaine
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Wareham, Nick
a1f361fa-e5e6-40c6-be7b-b4fb61bd0924
Brage, Soren
3705fa6b-2018-4ad6-9143-fa9240ec0fc9
Finucane, Francis Martin, Westgate, Kate, Sharp, Stephen, Griffin, S.J., O'Donnell, Martin, Dennison, Elaine, Cooper, Cyrus, Wareham, Nick and Brage, Soren
(2025)
Impact of supervised aerobic exercise training on habitual physical activity in healthy older adults: the Hertfordshire physical activity randomised controlled trial.
BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 11 (1), [e001857].
(doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001857).
Abstract
Objectives: physical activity is important for health, but the influence of structured, supervised aerobic exercise sessions on habitual physical activity in healthy older adults is unclear.
Methods: we evaluated habitual physical activity in the Hertfordshire Physical Activity Trial, where healthy older adults were randomised to 36 supervised 1-hour gymnasium sessions on a cycle ergometer at moderate intensity over 12 weeks or to a control group with no intervention. We estimated physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and time spent in sedentary behaviour and light and moderate or vigorous physical activity over 7 days at three time points (before, during and immediately after the intervention) with individually calibrated combined heart rate and movement sensing.
Results: of 100 randomised participants (44% female, aged 67-76 years), 96% completed follow-up. Midway through the intervention, neither overall PAEE nor time spent at different intensities were different between groups. However, on the 3 days of the week that the structured exercise sessions occurred (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), the exercise group had a 9.1 kJ kg -1 day -1 ((2.5, 15.7), p=0.007) increase in PAEE, a reduction in sedentary time and increased time spent at light and moderate or vigorous physical activity, compared with the control group.
Conclusions: three 1-hour bouts per week of structured aerobic exercise increased daily physical activity on the days they occurred, but not overall physical activity across the whole week. Population-wide strategies such as better cycling and walking infrastructure may increase physical activity in healthy older adults more effectively than treatment with structured exercise programmes.
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Accepted/In Press date: 21 February 2025
Published date: 25 March 2025
Keywords:
Accelerometer, Aerobic fitness, Epidemiology, Physiology, Randomised controlled trial
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 500525
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/500525
ISSN: 2055-7647
PURE UUID: 22a67784-ac7a-48d6-8c0f-985aae8abd7c
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Date deposited: 02 May 2025 16:53
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 01:42
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Contributors
Author:
Francis Martin Finucane
Author:
Kate Westgate
Author:
Stephen Sharp
Author:
S.J. Griffin
Author:
Martin O'Donnell
Author:
Nick Wareham
Author:
Soren Brage
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