Twelve-month effects of the Groningen active living model (GALM) on physical activity, health and fitness outcomes in sedentary and underactive older adults aged 55-65.

Objective: To determine the effects on energy expenditure, health and fitness outcomes after 12 months of GALM.

Methods: Subjects from matched neighbourhoods were assigned to an intervention (IG) (n=79) or a waiting-list control group (CG) (n=102). During the 12 months the IG attended two series of 15 moderately intensive GALM sessions once a week and the CG attended one series after a 6-month waiting-list period.

Results: Significant time effects were found for energy expenditure for recreational sports activities (EE(RECSPORT)), other leisure-time physical activity (EE(LTPA)) and total physical activity (EE(TOTAL)). EE(RECSPORT) increased over 12 months for both groups while the significant time x group interaction for EE(LTPA) revealed that the CG continuously increased over 12 months and the IG improved in the first 6 months but decreased from 6 to 12 months. Further significant time effects were found for performance-based fitness but no group effects.

Conclusion: Participation in GALM improved EE(RECSPORT) after 12 months, which was reflected in increases in performance-based fitness. The increase in EE(LTPA) seemed to be a short-term effect (6 months), which may explain the lack of improvement in other health indicators.

Practice Implications: To further increase EE(LTPA), more attention should be paid to behavioural skill-building during the GALM program.