Effects of Vitality Acupunch exercise on functional fitness and activities of daily living among probable sarcopenic older adults in residential facilities

Purpose To test the effects of a Vitality Acupunch exercise program on the functional fitness and the ability to perform the activities of daily living (ADL) among older adults with probable sarcopenia in residential facilities. Design This was a cluster‐randomized controlled trial. A total of 12 long‐term care facilities randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups with 1:1 allocation ratio. Among them, 114 older adults with probable sarcopenia participated at baseline and were allocated to either the intervention or control group according to the facility where they resided in. Of these, 103 older adults completed the study. Methods The intervention group (n = 52) underwent the Vitality Acupunch exercise program three times a week, each lasting 40 min, for 6 months while the control group (n = 51) performed its routine daily activities. Findings The functional fitness and ADL of the intervention group significantly improved at each time point (all p