The Effects of an Online Guided Exercise Programme in Decreasing Symptoms of Mild Depression and High Blood Pressure in a Group of Elderly Males During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine the efficacy of online guided exercise as a treatment of mild depression in a sample of recently retired older adults and if it was beneficial in decreasing relatively high blood pressure in the sample.After surveying a group of 612 people who were all 60 years and older and all retired in the last 6 months, 67 people were identified of having mild depression using the Geriatric Depression Scale. These depressed individuals were divided into a control and an experimental group which participated in exercise sessions provided online for (45 - 60 min) daily for 8 weeks in which participants measured their blood pressure before and immediately after the session and their depressive symptoms were followed using the same scale after the end of the programme.The conclusion was that the online guided exercise programmewhich wasprepared by the researchers is beneficial in decreasing symptoms of mild depression and blood pressure in elderly males during the COVID-19 pandemic