What is it about?
This study explored whether the MIND&GAIT exercise programme could improve how institutionalized older adults coordinate their movements during everyday tasks. The research focused on two functional movements that are important for independence and fall prevention: standing up from a chair and marching in place. Fourteen older adults living in institutional care completed a three-month exercise programme, delivered three times per week. Before and after the programme, their movement was assessed using inertial sensors that recorded body acceleration and angular velocity. The study then used advanced biomechanical and non-linear analysis methods to examine movement variability, predictability and coordination. Although the results did not show statistically significant changes, the observed trends suggested that participants may have developed more adaptable and complex movement patterns after the programme. These changes may reflect improvements in functional stability and safer movement behaviour.
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Why is it important?
Falls are a major health concern among older adults, especially those living in institutional settings. Traditional assessments often focus on whether someone can complete a task, how fast they move, or how many repetitions they perform. However, these measures may miss subtle changes in the quality and organization of movement. This study shows the potential value of combining exercise programmes with wearable sensor technology and non-linear movement analysis. This approach may help researchers and health professionals better understand how older adults adapt their movement after exercise and may support more sensitive ways of monitoring fall risk and functional stability. The findings are exploratory, but they suggest that structured group-based exercise programmes such as MIND&GAIT may contribute to safer and more adaptable movement patterns in frail older adults.
Perspectives
For older adults and care providers, this study reinforces the importance of regular, structured exercise in maintaining functional mobility and supporting safer daily movement. For health and exercise professionals, the findings highlight the value of looking beyond simple performance outcomes and considering the quality, variability and adaptability of movement. For researchers, this work supports the use of inertial sensors and non-linear biomechanical methods to detect subtle changes in motor coordination that may not be captured by traditional clinical tests. Future studies with larger samples and longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm these preliminary findings and to better understand how changes in movement complexity relate to fall prevention and functional independence.
Professor Marco Branco
Sport Science School of Rio Maior, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Biomechanical Effects of the MIND&GAIT Exercise Program on Sit-to-Stand and Marching in Place Motor Coordination in Institutionalized Older Adults: Implications for Functional Stability, Healthcare, March 2026, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare14060770.
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