Background and Objectives
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths across the world. One effective way to prevent falls is to engage in regular functional balance and strength training. Specifically, WHO recommends older adults to engage in multicomponent activities that improve functional balance and strength training on 3 or more days a week. Nonetheless, a recent research study has shown that although most young-old retirees in Hong Kong can meet WHO’s goal of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week, none of the participants had regular functional balance and strength training at the suggested levels. Without proper training and intervention, retirees’ physical function may deteriorate gradually, or in some cases drastically if they encountered any significant health issues, and consequently increase their risk of falls.
To this end, the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is currently conducting a physical activity promotion programme called “Fit & Active Retirement”. After a comprehensive assessment of retirees’ physical activity, functional balance, risk of falls, and body composition, participants will then be entered into a physical activity programme designed specifically for young-old retirees. Through regular physical activity, functional balance and strength training, the programme will strengthen retirees’ health, and reduce their risk of falls and associated injuries.
This project is led by Professor Amy Ha and Professor Yijian Yang, and is supported by Knowledge Transfer Fund at CUHK.
