In 2017, Rugbeer, et. al., investigated the impact of group exercise frequency on the health-related quality of life among institutionalized elderly individuals. The aim was to determine whether participating in group exercise sessions could lead to improvements in various aspects of well-being.

One hundred participants voluntarily enrolled in the study from five aged care facilities. The selection criteria were based on a thorough medical assessment conducted by a sports physician. To assess the effect of group exercise frequency, a quasi-experimental design was employed, utilizing pre-test and post-test procedures. The participants were divided into two groups, and their progress was monitored over a 12-week period.

The findings revealed significant improvements in social function following group exercise sessions conducted twice a week (MD = -13.85, 95% CI [-24.66, -3.38], p = 0.017, d = 0.674) and three times a week (MD = -13.30, 95% CI [-21.81, -5.59], p = 0.003, d = 0.712). Additionally, exercising three times a week demonstrated an additional benefit in terms of vitality (MD = -7.55, 95% CI [-13.16, -1.91], p = 0.018, d = 0.379). Notably, improvements in the mental component summary scale were observed for both the twice-weekly (MD = -4.08, 95% CI [-7.67, -0.42], p = 0.033, d = 0.425) and three-times-weekly (MD = -6.67, 95% CI [-10.92, -2.33], p = 0.005, d = 0.567) exercise frequency groups.

This study underscores the positive effects of group exercise on mental and social well-being, irrespective of the frequency of exercise (twice or three times per week). However, the exercise intervention conducted three times a week yielded greater improvements in the mental component summary scale, as indicated by a larger effect size. Furthermore, exercising three times a week offered additional benefits in terms of vitality. These findings have important implications for helping elderly individuals maintain their independence and enhance their overall quality of life.

Reference: Rugbeer, N., Ramklass, S., Mckune, A., & van Heerden, J. (2017). The effect of group exercise frequency on health related quality of life in institutionalized elderly. The Pan African Medical Journal, 26.