Physical Activity Interventions for Family Caregivers
Summary
Family caregivers often bear substantial physical and psychological demands as they support relatives with chronic or disabling conditions. Physical activity interventions have emerged as a dual-purpose strategy, addressing caregivers’ own health needs while enhancing their capacity to deliver care. Programmes range from structured home-based exercise to community-delivered regimes and tele-supervised sessions. Evidence indicates that regular engagement in moderate-to-vigorous activity can improve cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and functional mobility, alongside reductions in musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms. Tailored approaches—integrating exercise coaching with caregiving education—foster adherence by accommodating unpredictable schedules and caregiving duties. As societies face ageing populations, scalable physical activity models offer a pragmatic route to sustaining caregiver well-being and preserving health-care resources globally.
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Physical Activity Interventions for Family Caregivers publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in physical activity interventions for family caregivers across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Randomised controlled trial (RCT): A study design in which participants are randomly assigned to intervention or control groups to assess efficacy under controlled conditions.
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA): Exercise intensity that substantially elevates heart rate and energy expenditure, typically equivalent to brisk walking or cycling.
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL): A multidimensional construct encompassing physical, mental and social well-being as perceived by individuals living with health conditions.
Caregiver burden: The physical, emotional and financial strain experienced by unpaid caregivers in the provision of ongoing support to a dependent individual.
References
- Effects of physical activity on depressive symptoms in older caregivers: The IMPACCT randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (2024).
- Effects of a Home-Based Exercise Program on Health-Related Quality of Life and Physical Fitness in Dementia Caregivers: A Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022).
- Effectiveness of a Physical Therapeutic Exercise Programme for Caregivers of Dependent Patients: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial from Spanish Primary Care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020).
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