Overview
Older adult participants will engage in exercise videos twice a week for 8 weeks either while paired with a peer (same age group) or paired with a younger adult with the ability to simultaneously video chat while exercising.
Description
Participation in this study includes:
- Completing assessments at baseline (start of study), 8 weeks, and 16 weeks
- Initial meeting with an Exercise Physiologist to determine exercise interests and preferences
- Being matched with an exercise partner
- Virtually meeting with partner to engage in exercise videos via the FlexTogether platform (meet twice a week for a total of 8 weeks)
- Attend a live group class once a month
- Completing an exit interview
Primary Objective:
To assess feasibility by monitoring adherence to an 8-week virtual paired exercise program for older adults
Secondary Objectives:
- To mechanistically investigate the key social pairing components (i.e., older adults together, younger and older adult pairing) within a virtual program necessary to enhance social connectedness, decrease loneliness, improve well-being, and increase physical activity in older adults and younger adult participants in the short-term (pre-post) through surveys and qualitative interviews
- To mechanistically investigate the key social pairing components (i.e., older adults together, younger and older adult pairing) within a virtual program necessary to enhance social connectedness, decrease loneliness, improve well-being, and increase physical activity in older adults and younger adult participants in the long-term (8 weeks post-intervention / 18 weeks on study) through surveys and qualitative interviews
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Verbal informed consent obtained from subject and ability for subject to comply with the requirements of the study
- Age 18-30 years for younger adults
- Age greater than or equal to 65 years for older adults
- Has access to a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer with video capabilities connected to the internet with a screen at least 13 inches across
- Able to read, write, and understand English
- Has a 5 x 6 foot space at home in which to exercise
Exclusion Criteria:
- Current diagnosis of dementia