Telehealth exercise for older adults: A mixed-methods study in Western Australia
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Caitlin Fox-Harding: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7431-9872
Georgios Mavropalias: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7753-5693
Craig Harms: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7256-2326
Daniel A. Galvão: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8209-2281
Dennis R. Taaffe: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6381-1597
Joanne M. Dickson: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4626-8761
Robert Newton: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0302-6129
Abstract
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical exercise prescription and delivery were disrupted and rates of physical activity among older Australians were negatively impacted. Western Australia is a region in which a proportion of the population lives in rural and remote communities, with limited access to exercise clinics. Methods: This mixed-methods approach included an online survey of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on exercise behav-iors and physical and mental health of older adults, and their impressions of personalized telehealth exercise programs provided by their exercise clinic during lockdowns and delivered via telehealth. Participants were also invited to take part in focus group interviews to gather further insights regarding online exercise delivery for older Western Australians. Results: A total of 53 participants completed the survey (median age, 74 years; 43–85 years). A minority of participants reported that exercising at home was as effective (12%, P < 0.001) and as enjoyable (14%, P < 0.001) as exercising at the exercise clinic, 51% felt that exercising at home helped to maintain their mental well-being (P < 0.001), and 69% were willing to try a supervised real-time telehealth exercise session and use technology for physical assessments and exercise monitoring. The focus group (n = 11) identified important themes around social support, adequate opportunity for preparation prior to the telehealth exercise session, and flexibility in session delivery. Conclusion: Although telehealth delivery of exercise to older adults requires further development and refinement, the program as delivered facilitated people to remain active when in-person clinic or fitness center supervision was not possible.
Keywords
COVID-19, health services accessibility, remote consultation, rural population, telemedicine
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
12-1-2025
Volume
14
Issue
4
Publication Title
Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology
Publisher
Clinical Exercise Physiology Association
School
Exercise Medicine Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences / School of Arts and Humanities
Copyright
subscription content
First Page
135
Last Page
144
Comments
Fox-Harding, C., Mavropalias, G., Harms, C., Galvão, D. A., Taaffe, D. R., Dickson, J. M., & Newton, R. U. (2025). Telehealth exercise for older adults: A mixed-methods study in Western Australia. Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology, 14(4), 135–144. https://doi.org/10.31189/2165-7629-14.4.135