Background: Digital solutions have great potential to improve functional capacity of older people with early physical impairments, living independently at home. In Finland, nearly half of people aged 75+ years belong to this group.
Objectives: The aims were to 1) launch an online exercise model to promote functional capacity for ageing people, 2) train professionals and volunteers to organize online exercise and act as instructors or digital tutors, and 3) offer exercise videos and other digital materials to support organizing and practicing online exercise.
Methods: The project included a 3,5-year development phase during 2017-2020, including pilots with 7 municipalities and 13 NGOs. Instructors were either professionals (n=5) or volunteers (n=12). In total, 42 volunteers were involved, supported by experts in sports, social and health care, and ICT.
Results: 13 online exercise groups participated in 3-month interventions, including a weekly online exercise broadcast and encouragement for additional self-training with videos 1-3 times a week. Altogether 107 remote exercisers (age 60–91) participated. Results from objectively measured functioning (n=47) showed an overall increase in SPPB test (from 8,95 to 9,85 points) and in hand grip strength (from 23,6 to 25,1 N). The participants reported of positive effects on everyday life (such as home chores, moving), mood, social interaction, and digital skills. Municipalities and NGOs scored the project as effective for providing group exercise.
Impact: In the development phase, online exercise proved to be effective, well-accepted, and implementable practice. It is currently at a national scaling-up and implementation phase in Finland.

https://www.ikainstituutti.fi/liikunta-ja-ulkoilu/voimaa-etajumpasta/

• Finland

• Older persons
• the main target group was 75+ older persons with early physical impairments

After development phase was completed, the project moved to a national scaling-up and implementation phase. Municipalities and NGOs implement their own online exercise groups. Age Institute acts as a coordinator, and provides professionals and volunteers with training, tutoring and materials. Age Institute also conducts a follow-up research on implementation of online exercise.

Since January 2020, launching online exercise has been supported by Age Institute across Finland in collaboration with national physical activity program for older adults (Older People on the Move) and two implementation projects. 168 professionals and volunteers have participated in training, and 25 online exercise groups have been launched. In each group, there are 5-50 participants.
According to our experiences, the model of online exercise is easily replicated in municipalities and NGOs when adequate support is provided. Launching a new group takes 2-6 months. Key elements in replicability are the free choice of technology (video conference programs, hardware), free choice of participants (individuals, couples, friends, groups) and location (homes, club rooms etc.), and the concept is mostly carried out free of charge. Covid-19 pandemic has strengthened the justification for the scale up work of the project. The project offered means to promote physical activity services during social distancing.

This project is aligned with SDG goal 3.

Municipalities and NGO’s offer balance and strength training sessions online, either as one-way or two-way broadcasts. The model of online exercise is based on commonly used digital solutions (video conferencing programs, laptops, tablet computers, web-cameras, speakerphones). Each municipality or NGO chooses software and hardware according to their local needs. Cameras help to view the safety of the exercisers and to give feedback. Speakerphones are advised to be used by the instructors for improved audio. Training of professionals and volunteers is conducted online, with digital materials. The www.voitas.fi-site provides the instructors with a practical tool to build their training sessions using a movement database. Further, Voitas.fi-site (and alternatively our YouTube channel) offers the exercisers self-training videos free of charge.