Safety measures and infection prevention
infection
INFECTION, VIRUS, BLIND
The study prioritized participant safety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing rigorous safety measures. Participants in both the experimental and control groups were required to wear masks during exercise sessions to minimize the potential transmission of the virus. Additionally, to adhere to social distancing guidelines, participants were strategically positioned during exercises, with one individual positioned slightly forward and another placed to the side and further back, ensuring adequate spacing between participants. Furthermore, all exercise equipment used by elderly participants underwent thorough cleaning and sanitization before and after each session to maintain a hygienic environment. These precautionary measures were diligently observed to mitigate infection risks and safeguard the well-being of all volunteers, contributing to the integrity of the study’s results and facilitating future research planning during pandemics.Participants lived in an upper middle class metropolitan urban district with a strong majority of appartment flats. Exercise sessions were conducted in a wooded park centrally located in this district within easy, less than 10 minutes walking distance from the participants home locations. This park contained flat, amenaged areas suitable for group exercises. Participants were requested to wear confortable clothes and sports shoes. All exercise related equipment such as therabands, sandbag weights was provided by the supervising physiotherapist at no cost to the participants.All subgroups performed the outdoor exercises as a group activity under the supervision and control of an experienced physiotherapist, 3 days a week for a total of 8 weeks (24 sessions) between 10:15–13:45 in fair weather conditions following social distancing rules in accordance with current regional pandemic conditions. Group-I and Group-II subgroup training sessions were scheduled in separate days to blind the participants to AOT application. In order to ensure their safety, optional chair support was provided to each participant during the exercises.A 15-minute action observation video including balance, strength and mobility exercises was prepared by and modelled in by the researcher using a chair to guide those who might need its usage during the exercises. Each exercise session in both the experimental (Group I) and control (Group II) groups lasted approximately 45 minutes.