None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
In Australia, approximately one third of community-dwelling older people fall each year and the risk of falling increases with age. The consequences of falling can be fatal including fractures, institutionalising and loss of independence. The sport of judo includes a number of techniques and strategies that can be amended to teach older adults how to prevent falls and how to fall safely. This project aims to upskill Allied Health Professionals and Judo coaches to provide an 8-week Judo-based exercise program to older adults to teach them the core skills required to land safely from a controlled fall using a two-day workshop combined with practical experience by attending the 8-week Judo based exercise program. In addition, this project will evaluate how effective the 8-week Judo based exercise program is in improving safe-landing skills in community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older. Secondary outcomes will include balance, mobility, fear of falling, physical performance, strength and muscle mass, physical activity, and quality of life.
Interventions
This project aims to upskill Allied Health Professionals and Judo coaches to provide an 8-week Judo-based exercise program to older adults to teach them the core skills required to land safely from a controlled fall. In addition, this project will evaluate how effective the 8-week Judo based exercise program is in improving safe-landing skills in community-dwelling older adults aged 65 Years and older.
Train-the-Trainer Intervention:
The Train-the-Trainer program will include 10 Allied Health
This project aims to upskill Allied Health Professionals and Judo coaches to provide an 8-week Judo-based exercise program to older adults to teach them the core skills required to land safely from a controlled fall. In addition, this project will evaluate how effective the 8-week Judo based exercise program is in improving safe-landing skills in community-dwelling older adults aged 65 Years and older. Train-the-Trainer Intervention: The Train-the-Trainer program will include 10 Allied Health Professionals (i.e. Physiotherapists) working in Aged Care with no experience in Judo, and 10 experienced and accredited Judo coaches with no experience working with older adults. Allied Health Professionals (i.e. Physiotherapists) will attend a) a 2-day workshop with the focus being on teaching safe landing skills followed by attending b) the 8-week Judo-based exercise program as part of the pre-post study to gain practical experience. Judo coaches will also attend a) a 2-day workshop but with the focus on working and training with older adults followed by attending b) the 8-week Judo based exercise program as part of the pre-post study to gain practical experience. Both, the 2-day workshop as well as the 8-week Judo-based exercise program will be delivered at the Adelaide University Judo Club (AUJC) facilities in Thebarton, Adelaide, South Australia, by research staff specialised in frailty and healthy ageing and Judo Coaches with experience in the intervention and working with older adults. Elements of the Train-the-Trainer Intervention will include modules on physiology of ageing, potential risks when working with older adults, balance, strength and mobility exercises, as well as a practical introduction to landing safely in four different directions, and the difference from Sport Judo. 8-Week Judo-Based Exercise Program: The 8-week Judo based exercise program will include 40 community-dwelling older people aged 65 years and older (10 per exercise group to ensure adequate supervision and participant safety). The Judo-based exercise program will be conducted at the AUJC facilities in Thebarton, Adelaide. The program will include safe-landing techniques (ukemi) in four different directions including backwards, sideways (left and right), flat forward and rolling forward direction using a micro-progression approach, as well as a mix of strength, mobility and balance exercises. The program will have two supervised 60-minute group exercise sessions per week for 8 weeks. Supervision will be provided by an experienced team of Judo coaches from the AUJC, ensuring a 4:1 participant-instructor supervision. All exercises will progressively increase in intensity and complexity to achieve an intensity of ‘somewhat hard’ (12-15) on the Borg scale for each participant. The Borg Scale will be collected after every session to ensure optimal intensity. Adherence will be monitored using attendance checklists.
Sponsors
Adelaide University Judo Club
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Primary purpose
Treatment
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Judo coaches must have a first degree black-belt (shodan), 2 years’ experience coaching beginners and a CAF (Coaching Accreditation Framework) Judo Assistant Coach certification as a minimum (no age requirement), and no experience working with older adults. Allied Health Professionals (i.e. physiotherapists, exercise physiologists or occupational therapists, no age requirement) with an appropriate tertiary qualification and at least 2 years’ experience working with older adults, but no Judo experience. Older adults will be eligible if they are aged 65 years and older, healthy, community-dwelling, able to walk unsupported for everyday tasks, and with no diagnosed illnesses/conditions that would prevent them from exercising.
Exclusion criteria
Older adults will be excluded if they had been advised against physical exercise by their physician, had suffered from congestive heart failure, felt chest pain, dizziness or angina during exercise, had uncontrolled high blood pressure, severe osteoporosis or atlantoaxial instability.
Outcome results
None listed