Research Links Exercise to Elderly Physical Capacity

“My thesis focuses on physical activity and physical capacity in older adults, including both healthy older adults and patients with severe hip osteoarthritis. I have examined the reliability of various field-based physical fitness tests, compared physical capacity between healthy older adults and those with hip osteoarthritis, and evaluated how exercise affects physical capacity in older adults and how total hip arthroplasty affects physical capacity in patients with hip osteoarthritis”, says Manne Godhe , PhD student at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery .

Which are the most important results?

“The most important results show that field-based physical fitness tests have generally good reliability for older adults and can be used in both research and clinical practice. Structured exercise programs of just eight weeks (twice weekly) provide significant improvements in muscular endurance, strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and motor fitness in older adults”.

“Another key finding is that severe hip osteoarthritis significantly impairs physical function and activity levels compared to healthy older adults. Total hip arthroplasty leads to substantial improvements in both physical fitness and activity patterns. One year after surgery, patients achieved international physical activity recommendations”.

How can this new knowledge contribute to the improvement of people’s health?

“This knowledge can help promote exercise for older adults in community care, recreational activities, and healthcare. Simple, cost-effective field tests enable better evaluation of physical functions in older adults and allow monitoring of changes over time. For end-stage hip osteoarthritis patients, this knowledge can improve rehabilitation strategies and set realistic recovery expectations after surgery”.

“The results also emphasize the importance of regular physical activity for maintaining health and function in older adults and demonstrate that even short-term exercise interventions can provide meaningful benefits for this population”.

What are your future ambitions?

“In the future, I want to continue research on how exercise can be optimized for different groups of older adults. I also want to develop and validate more field-based tests that can be implemented in clinical practice and preventive healthcare”.

Dissertation

Friday May 23, 2025 at 09:00, GIH, Lidingövägen 1

Thesis

Physical Activity and Fitness Measurements in Healthy Older Adults and Osteoarthrities Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty