To Contrast and Reverse Skeletal Muscle Atrophy by Full-Body In-Bed Gym, a Mandatory Lifestyle for Older Olds and Borderline Mobility-Impaired Persons.

Abstract

Older olds, that is octogenarians, spend small amounts of time for daily physical activity, contributing to aggravate their independence limitations up to force them to bed and to more and more frequent hospitalizations. All progressive muscle contractile impairments, including advanced age-related muscle power decline, need permanent management. Inspired by the proven capability to recover skeletal muscle contractility and strength by home-based functional electrical stimulation and guided by common sense, we suggested to older olds a 15-30 min daily routine of 12 easy and safe physical exercises. Since persons can do many of them in bed (full-body in-bed gym), hospitalized elderly can continue this kind of light training that is an extension of the well-established cardiovascular-ventilation rehabilitation before and after admission. Monitoring arterial blood pressure before and after the daily routine demonstrates that peripheral resistance decreases in a few minutes by the functional hyperemia of the trained body muscles. Continued regularly, full-body in-bed gym helps to maintain the independence of frail older people and may reduce the risks of serious consequences of accidental falls.