Upper body motor relearning to improve activities of daily living in older adults through recreational exercises

Introduction: Aging leads to functional and cognitive decline, affecting the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Upper body function is key to maintaining autonomy. A recreational exercise-based intervention was proposed to promote motor relearning and executive stimulation in older adults.Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in 55 older adults (mean age 74.87 ± 7.54 years), who participated in a six-week recreational exercise program focused on the upper body (three 45-minute sessions per week). Instrumental functioning (Lawton and Brody scale), executive functions (FAB-E), and five functional motor tasks were assessed before and after the intervention. Student's t-test was applied for related samples.Results: Statistically significant reductions were observed in the execution times of the eight variants of the pouring water activity (p < 0.001), with improvements ranging from 0.62 to 0.94 seconds. The following tasks showed improvements: lowering a jar (−5.86 s; p = 0.021), lifting groceries (−2.91 s; p = 0.045), tying shoelaces (−0.85 s; p = 0.016), and putting on a sweater (−0.63 s; p = 0.048). The Lawton and Brody scale improved significantly (pre-test: 6.05 ± 1.94; post-test: 7.43 ± 1.84; p = 0.008), as did the FAB-E (pre-test: 12.04 ± 4.31; post-test: 14.65 ± 5.12; p = 0.034).Conclusions: The playful program improved upper body function and executive functions, demonstrating its effectiveness as an accessible and motivating therapeutic strategy for older adults.