Impact of 3 Months of Supervised Exercise on Function by Arthritis Status.

Background: Exercise is an established intervention for the management of arthritis, but it is unclear whether general exercise programs, such as Gerofit clinical exercise program for older veterans, are effective for arthritis.

Methods: This secondary data analysis of previously collected Gerofit data evaluated the effect 3 months of participation had on physical function by self-reported arthritis status (ie, no arthritis, any arthritis, lower body arthritis, or both upper and lower body arthritis). Veterans aged ≥ 65 years from 5 sites were included. Physical function measures included 10-meter walk test for usual gait speed (m/s), 30-second arm curl test, 30-second chair stand test, and 6-minute walk distance test (m). Linear models estimated the change from baseline to 3 months, adjusting for arthritis status, age, and body mass index.

Results: This study included 737 patients. At 3 months, each group improved physical function across all 4 measures with no differences across any arthritis status group. Gerofit exercise was associated with functional gains, regardless of arthritis status.

Conclusions: Participation in 3 months of supervised outpatient exercise programs, such as Gerofit, can improve physical function for older adults, regardless of arthritis status. These programs may increase access to exercise programming that is beneficial for common conditions affecting older adults, such as arthritis.