The Effect of Resistance Training with Outdoor Fitness Equipment on the Body Composition, Physical Fitness, and Physical Health of Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Pablo J Marcos-Pardo; Alejandro Espeso-García; Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal; Tomás Abelleira-Lamela; Noelia González-Gálvez

doi:10.3390/healthcare12070726

The Effect of Resistance Training with Outdoor Fitness Equipment on the Body Composition, Physical Fitness, and Physical Health of Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Mar 26;12(7):726. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12070726.

Authors

Pablo J Marcos-Pardo^{1

2}, Alejandro Espeso-García³, Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal^{2

4}, Tomás Abelleira-Lamela³, Noelia González-Gálvez^{2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Centro de Investigación para el Bienestar y la Inclusión Social (CIBIS Research Center), SPORT Research Group (CTS-1024), Department of Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain.
² Active Aging, Exercise and Health/HEALTHY-AGE Network, Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), Ministry of Culture and Sport of Spain, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
³ Injury Prevention in Sport Research Group (PRELEDE), Facultad de Deporte, UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain.
⁴ Department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Murcia, 30720 Murcia, Spain.
⁵ Research Group on Health, Physical Activity, Fitness and Motor Behaviour (GISAFFCOM), Facultad de Deporte, UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain.

Abstract

This study examined the effect of outdoor-fitness-equipment-based resistance training on the health parameters of middle-aged and older adults, as well as analyzing the effect of age on the results found. A total of 149 volunteers were randomly assigned to the training (TG) and control (CG) groups. The TG performed two weekly sessions of resistance training for 8 weeks using outdoor fitness equipment, while the CG continued with their regular daily activities. Body composition was measured using DXA, and the maximal isometric voluntary contraction in knee extension, elbow flexion, and hand grip were assessed, along with the 4 m walk test, the Timed Up and Go Test, and the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire. The TG showed a significant increase in the lean mass index (p = 0.002) and maximal isometric voluntary contraction in both legs (p < 0.001) and arms (p < 0.001), as well as in physical functioning (p < 0.001) and the role physical dimension (p = 0.006) of the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire, compared to the CG, which showed a decrease in all these variables. In addition, the TG showed a greater decrease in fat mass (p < 0.001), fat mass index (p = 0.003), and the Timed Up and Go Test (p < 0.001) than the CG. Age conditioned the evolution of most of the variables analyzed (p < 0.05). In conclusion, resistance training with outdoor fitness equipment may be useful for improving the health of middle-aged and older adults, although age is a factor that could influence the adaptations found.

Keywords: aging; healthy aging; outdoor gym.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Collaboration-Retos 2017) with the support and funding of the project “Intelligent outdoor fitness equipment: Design and manufacture of new ergonomic, efficient and healthy outdoor fitness equipment with an application for mobile devices (APP) to assess and control training” (code: RTC-2017-6145-1). A.E.-G. would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Universities for its support through the FPU grant (code: FPU19/00488). This study is part of the thesis of A.E.-G. The present research on the active aging of members of the HEALTHY-AGE Network is supported by grants (codes: 06/UPR/19; 08/UPR/20; 05/UPB/21; 12/UPB/22; 28/UPB/23) from the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport Sports Sciences Networks Projects.