Exploring the Effects of Eccentric Lunge Walking on Physical Fitness, Health, Cognitive Function, and Quality of Life in Older Adults

Brief name of intervention: Eccentric Lunge Walking Program Intervention description: An 8-week eccentric lunge walking program for older adults (ages 60-80). Procedure: Participants will perform eccentric lunge walking, controlling the lengthening contractions of knee extensor muscles as body weight shifts onto one leg. Participants were allocated to either a High Dose or Low Dose eccentric lunge walking group for an 8-week program. Walking duration gradually increased by 5 minutes every 2 weeks, starting at 10 minutes in Week 1 and reaching 30 minutes by Week 8. The High Dose group aimed to complete up to 20 repetitions (i.e. sets of 10 eccentric lunges) of ~2 minutes each by Week 8, totaling approximately 100 lunges and 20 minutes of lunge activity within the 30-minute session. The Low Dose group aimed for up to 10 repetitions, totaling 30 lunges and 6 minutes of lunge activity within the same timeframe. Participants will perform the sessions independently, five times per week, in a safe, flat environment. Participants will assess their physical fitness, mental health, cognition, bone health, body composition, insulin sensitivity, and quality of life before and after the program. A 45–60 minute one-on-one familiarization session will be conducted one week prior to the intervention by an exercise science researcher at a safe, flat location. Participants will be taught proper eccentric lunge walking techniques and randomly assigned to either the High-Dose group (greater lunge volume) or Low-Dose group (lower lunge volume). The investigator will provide constructive verbal and video feedback. Participants will first be asked to perform 4 continuous steps; once performed correctly, they will progress to 6 steps, and then to 10 steps upon mastering the technique. During both the familiarization session and the intervention period, participants will be asked to wear non-slip shoes and appropriate exercise attire. Both groups will perform 10 eccentric lunge steps every 2 minutes while walking at a normal pace. The number of repetitions will vary between the groups. Expertise of Investigators: intervention administered by expertise exercise science researchers. Mode of delivery: The familiarization session will be delivered face-to-face. Once participants are familiar with the technique, they will be asked to complete the intervention independently. Personalized instruction will be provided during the familiarization session to ensure participants understand the eccentric lunge walking technique. Participants will complete the exercise at home. For comfort and safety, Advice them to wear comfortable clothes and non-slip shoes. All details will be provided in the Information Sheet and explained during the familiarization session. Participants will receive two pedometers: Exercise walking pedometer: Advice them to worn on waist during exercise sessions to measure steps. Daily activity pedometer: Advice them to worn throughout the day to track steps during everyday activities.