In 2008, a study conducted by Kuei-Min Chen and colleagues aimed to assess the impact of a 24-week silver yoga exercise program on the physical fitness of older adults attending senior activity centers. With an increasing focus on reducing future healthcare expenditures associated with chronic health conditions, promoting physical fitness in older adults has become paramount.

The silver yoga exercise program was specifically designed to accommodate the reduced body flexibility commonly experienced by older adults. Prior to implementation, the program underwent critical review by experts and pilot testing with community-dwelling older adults to ensure its suitability.

The study employed a quasi-experimental design, incorporating pre-post tests at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. A total of 204 subjects were recruited from eight senior activity centers, with 176 subjects completing the study. These subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups based on the centers they attended: Experiment I received complete silver yoga including stretching and meditation, Experiment II received a shortened version of silver yoga without guided-imagery meditation, and a Wait-list control group.

The interventions were conducted three times per week over the 24-week period. Physical fitness indicators, including body composition, cardiovascular-respiratory functions, physical functions, and range of motion, were assessed.

Results demonstrated significant improvements in physical fitness among subjects in both Experiment I and II at the end of the 24-week period, regardless of whether guided-imagery meditation was included. Importantly, both intervention groups exhibited better physical fitness compared to the control group.

In conclusion, the study findings suggest that both the 70-minute complete silver yoga group and the 55-minute shortened silver yoga group experienced significant improvements in physical fitness following the interventions. The study recommends the adoption of the shortened silver yoga program, omitting guided-imagery meditation, to better accommodate program designs within senior activity centers.

Reference: Chen, K. M., Chen, M. H., Hong, S. M., Chao, H. C., Lin, H. S., & Li, C. H. (2008). Physical fitness of older adults in senior activity centres after 24‐week silver yoga exercises. Journal of clinical nursing, 17(19), 2634-2646.