Previous research has shown that while many Hong Kong retirees were sufficiently physically active (i.e., accrue at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week), none of the participations were unaware of, and hence did not meet World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations for regular functional balance and strength training (three days a week). This may result in reduced physical functions in retirees and may in turn lead to increased susceptibility to falls. Falls are major contributors to accidents that lead to severe injuries and are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide. Therefore, interventions that target retirees’ functional balance and strength is direly needed.

An intervention designed to promote functional balance and strength training will be implemented to enhance retirees’ physical function to reduce their risks of falls, and improve general well-being. Participants who agreed to participate will be assigned to groups, and will be given exercise materials in electronic formats (e.g., videos) which they will be asked to follow. Group leaders, or “captains”, who are selected retirees that were trained specifically for this project, will be assigned into the groups and serve as facilitators. They will be responsible to facilitate discussions in WhatsApp discussion groups and arrange activity meetups. As a mechanism for sustainability of the project, completed group members can self-nominate themselves to serve as captains in following rounds of the project.

The programme can increase physical activity and regularly functional training of participants. In the short run, this can improve participants’ mood and physical activity motivation. In the mid to long run, participants’ general health and well-being will be improved, and their risk of falls will be reduced due to improved physical functions.

300 retired adults in Hong Kong

2023

Active Ageing, Well-being