Return to Everyday Activities in the Community and Home

Overview

The purpose of this study is to test feasibility for the delivery and perceptions of a lifestyle model for middle-aged and older adults by involving participants in its development. The goal of the program is to reduce sedentary behaviour, increase physical activity, and increase strength and balance. An optional walking program will be run in parallel to emphasize the importance of moving more. Participants will be asked to fill out questionnaires on course delivery, content and effect throughout the program and 2-3 recorded interviews throughout the study. We will collect measurements of physical performance before and after the program.

This study aims to describe the delivery of a lifestyle model for older adults. Return to Everyday Activities in the Community and Home (REACH) is a health promotion program aimed at middle-aged and older adults. The goal of REACH is to reduce sedentary behaviour, increase physical activity, and increase strength and balance. The REACH program is comprised of six sessions which include evidence-based education, behaviour change theory, and activity instruction. REACH also teaches goal setting techniques, mindfulness, and encourages active community engagement. In this study we are running the REACH program for women aged 55 and older alongside a supplementary optional walking program run by SportMedBC. We will gather pre- and post-intervention measures of program perceptions, delivery psychological variables and physical performance outcomes. We will also collect participant feedback about course delivery, content and effect throughout the program. This study will allow us to describe the delivery strategies of REACH and involve the participants in the development of the REACH program. The optional walking program will emphasize the importance of increasing daily physical activity.