SECOND ASSESSMENT IN ALL PARTNER COUNTRIES

The second assessment was achieved by all partners during the summer of 2022 with the same protocol that was developed by the project partners, in particular by the University of Vigo (Spain) and IPVC (Portugal). Elderly participants were asked to answer a motivation and a self-assessment questionnaire on their health status (EUROQOL-5D), then the anthropometric measurements, body composition (with Tanita) and physical condition tests (Handgrip, Chair Stand Test, Back scratch, Arm Curl, Two Minute Step, Six Minute Walk) were carried out.
Regular fitness testing is essential to ensure that we are heading in the right direction in terms of health and fitness. These tests are the starting point for the development of an exercise program adapted to the characteristics of older people, and are very important for monitoring the state of health of the participants and for identifying possible physical-cognitive disorders in order to be able to act in time. The physical condition tests tell uswhether they have gone up or down in terms of their physical condition and their overall state of health.

In Municipality of Cesena (Italy), the assessment was carried out under the guidance of trainer Martina Casadei, where 108 people took part in the evaluations: 73 women and 35 men. The youngest participant is 60 and the less young is 83 years old.

In Portugal, the evaluations involved athletes from the municipality of Vila Nova de Cerveira and the municipality of Viana do Castelo. A total of 63 participants aged between 60 and 87 years were evaluated. Of the total number of athletes evaluated, 30 are part of the Viana do Castelo team and 33 are part of the Vila Nova de Cerveira team. It should be noted that the group has been in training since 2021. To carry out the tests, the support of young volunteers was also requested who performed some tests and were later involved in the support and arbitration staff of the Olympics4all competition.

Trainer Georgi Grigorov (rehabilitator) led the assessment in Aksakovo (Bulgaria) where 63 people took part in the evaluations: 61 women and 2 men. The youngest participant is 63 and the oldest is 82 years old.

The evaluation in Spain was carried out under the direction of the HealthyFit research group of the University of Vigo coordinated by José María Cancela Carral. A total of 72 people participated in the assessments, of which 90% were women and 10% men.

The last day of the assessment was postponed to the beginning of September due to COVID19 illnesses in the group and summer holidays in Hungary. In the end, 56 elderly (9 men and 47 women) participated in the tests.

For the Municipality of Nova Gorica and surroundings (Slovenia), it was the first assessment provided for by the project. It was carried out under the guidance of trainer Jan Gašparin and following the protocol, where participants were asked to fill in a motivational and self-assessment questionnaire about their health status and to perform some physical exercises to assess their physical condition. Together 87 people took part in the evaluations: 80 women and 8 men. The youngest participant one was only 58 and the less young is 89 years old.

In all countries, 447 elderly people participated in the second assessment. The results of the tests will be shared in the coming months with all project partners and also will be analyzed by the researcher team of the project.