The Effect of Stretching Exercises on Vascular Function, Blood Flow, and Walking Function in Middle and Older Adults

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Stretch

Treatments: Other: stretching exercises

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04871906

YM109100E

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study examines the relationship between circulation and walking speed after performing 8-week stretching exercises.

Full description

This study examines the relationship between circulations and walking speeds. Most studies in the field of stretching exercises have only focused on improvements of endothelial functions in younger population; however, I aim to emphasize its effects on different populations, such as people with frailty, low physical activity level, weakness and postoperative status. Previous research has established that stretching exercises can improve walking function by modulations of musculoskeletal or neuromuscular system. The importance and originality of this study are that it explores the relationship between circulation and walking speed. Due to the inability to extrapolate outcomes; short-term effect of improved blood vessel function; the unclear mechanism of stretching exercises; and considering the different physical fitness groups, I design a home-based, low-dose, and anatomic chain-based stretching exercises to verify the possible mechanism and effects.

Enrollment: 48 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 85 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. age between 20-85 years old
2. Follow instructions
3. Walk with/without assistive technology

Exclusion criteria

1. Unstable acute or chronic health conditions
2. Peripheral vascular diseases
3. Non-musculoskeletal problems that would limit stretching exercises
4. Participate in other exercise programs

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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48 participants in 2 patient groups

Stretching exercises

Experimental group

Description:

Interventions are home-based stretching exercises. The experimental group will receive 6 stretching exercises which stretch 20-30 seconds, relax for 10 seconds, and repeat 5 times for each side. It will take 25-30 minutes every day for continuous 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: stretching exercises

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Maintain their daily activity level in the 8 weeks. We use the study desigh-''waiting list control'' in this group.