With an aging global population, falls are a major health concern, leading to more injuries and higher healthcare costs. Exercise is vital to keep older adults active and lower their fall risk, but maintaining participation can be difficult. This study was conducted in two townships in Hsinchu County, Taiwan, involving two senior activity centers and participants aged 64 years and older who took part in an eight-week lower-limb muscle-strengthening program. One of the senior activity centers incorporated competitive games to motivate participation. The study aimed to determine whether adding competitive elements to a lower-limb strength training program could improve adherence and muscle strength among community-dwelling older adults. Seventeen participants from each group completed the program. Although the regular group initially had more participants, the completion rate was significantly higher in the competitive group, indicating that competition may increase engagement in the program. Overall, competitive health promotion activities were associated with higher completion rate among older adults. Future research should include a broader participant base and investigate different motivational strategies to encourage ongoing participation in physical activity.
Shih et al. (Fri,) studied this question.