In a context where physical activity is considered the key to achieving a healthy aginga group of researchers led by the physiotherapist of the Pere Virgili Health Park Luis Soto together with digital health experts from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), analyzed the apps of exercise available in major digital stores. The goal has been check their suitability in the virtual exercise prescription and compare whether they are adapted to the needs of elderly people who want to live a healthy life.
“With the current scientific evidence, we have to do that always recommend increasing physical activity, practicing strength and strength exercises and especially reducing sedentary behavior. It is clear that exercising is better than not doing it. But as professionals we should be able to do that optimize and adjust the prescription in terms of intensity, volume, frequency and progression“, explains Soto.
«The absolute novelty of this workpublished by the British Geriatrics Society, is due to the fact that it is a systematic review that applies the most rigorous methods of research, classification and analysis of applications, but that portion of the marketplaces from mobile phone applications, and not from purely scientific databases and search engines. So, gives us information about applications we have available and the like probably They are used by many people of our environment,” explains Dr. Marco Inzitari, Director of Integrated Care and Research at the Pere Virgili Health Park and researcher at the Health Sciences Studies and eHealth Center of the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).
There is no application that adapts to the cognitive function of the elderly
Of the more than 8,000 exercise apps can be found in the App Store (Apple) and the Play Store (Google), fifteen have been analyzed that met the following requirements: have more than 10,000 downloads, target the elderly, have had updates made in the last three years, be in English and not exclusive to a specific field.
“We have come across low range of applications for this profile of people, and we believe that those that exist currently It could be better tailored to the needs of vulnerable elderly people, both in the exercise prescription and in the ease of use and thus empowering them in the process«explains the lead researcher of the project.
In the analysis no application has been found that adapts to the cognitive state of the user. According to the researchers An application aimed at the elderly must be simple, intuitive and adapted to their needs. For this reason they consider it essential Involve app recipients in creative processes and, most importantly, ensuring there is representation of different socio-economic statuses and different knowledge of technology.
“Technology can help us, but it is necessary to assess it quantitatively and qualitatively. The purpose of the research has been precisely to provide a qualitative vision (without disregarding scientific evidence) of the applications that professionals can use to prescribe exercise for frail older people,” he adds. Soto.
Researchers have finally discovered that Just one of the fifteen applications is based on scientific evidence according to the analysis performed (citations in the PubMed search engine for scientific publications).
The institutions that participated in the study are the Pere Virgili Health Park, the Open University of Catalonia, the HiTT Foundation, Qida and the Faculty of Psychology, Educational Sciences and Sports of Blanquerna (Ramon Llull University).