Guidance from exercise instructors for designing remotely-led classes for older adults with mobility impairments

Purpose Nearly one third to one half of older adults (ages 65+) report one or more form of mobility impairment1. Despite the known benefits of physical activity for physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional health2, 70% of mobility-impaired adults do not engage in the amounts recommended to receive health benefits3. Some of the barriers to exercise reported by older adults with mobility impairments include an unsuitable environment4, fear/negative experiences4, a no transportation to an exercise sites. Remote exercise classes are one potential method to avoid some of these barriers. Some benefits of remote exercise are that they can be completed at home (reducing transportation and inaccessible building barriers), they connect participants with instructors who provide appropriate modifications (a limitation of pre-recorded exercise videos), and they may be less intimidating than in-person classes (e.g., fear of attending class with non-peers regarding age and/or physical abilities). Nevertheless, in-person exercise classes have qualities that can facilitate the effectiveness of and adherence to physical activity6. A better understanding is needed of how to capitalize on the advantages of remote exercise classes while maintaining the efficacious qualities of in-person classes. Exercise instructors with experience working with this demographic can provide valuable insights into the design of such classes. In this research, we aimed to understand (1) What do exercise instructors perceive as contributing to and detracting from the success of an exercise class when working with older adults with mobility impairments?; and (2) What are the factors that must be considered in the design of a remote exercise class for older adults with mobility impairments? Methods To date, 10 exercise instructors have completed interviews regarding the strategies they use to avoid and overcome challenges when working with this demographic, and the factors that contribute to the success of the class. Instructors were also specifically asked their opinions on conducting exercise classes remotely (e.g., advantages/disadvantages, optimal class size, space required, technological requirements). Emphasis was made on instructors' perceptions of the roles of social and emotional factors (e.g., boosting self-confidence, camaraderie, etc.), factors related to the physical environment (e.g., improper equipment), and additional factors to consider when instructing older adults with mobility im