Zoomers for the Capital Region: A Peer-Led Exercise Program for Aging Adults
Zoomers for the Capital Region: A Peer-Led Exercise Program for Aging Adults
The objective of this study is to recruit a group of older adults and study a broad set of
 physical health, mental health, and social outcomes when participants exercise with an older
 adult, peer-led exercise program.

 The program to be evaluated is called Zoomers on the Go. It is a 12-week program which
 involves two 60-minute sessions per week and educates participants about falls, along with
 aerobic and resistance exercise, flexibility, and balance activities. The program is offered
 to older adults (age 50+) and it is delivered in their community by an older adult who is
 trained as a certified Zoomers group exercise leader.

 Participants will be recruited, then randomized so that half of them can participate in a
 Zoomers class in the spring (intervention group) while half will have to wait until the fall
 of 2019 (control group). Pre-testing for both groups will begin around March 2019. The
 intervention group will participate in the program for 12 weeks, then there will be
 post-testing following this 12-weeks for both groups. Outcomes will be compared for the
 intervention and control groups, to determine if there are changes in the data pre- to
 post-measurements that are evident solely for the intervention group.
This study is a randomized control trial where subjects will be randomly assigned to a
 control or an intervention group. Participants will be recruited through general
 advertisements (e.g. radio, newspaper, posters), in Fredericton and surrounding areas. These
 participants will be volunteers, and no compensation will be provided besides having access
 to a free exercise program in their community. Eligibility will be determined by the research
 staff prior to the baseline assessment day.Eligible participants will be evaluated at an
 initial day of testing at either a Horizon CommunityHealth Centre or at the University of New
 Brunswick in the Cardiometabolic Exercise and Lifestyle Laboratory (CELLab). This first visit
 will involve the confirmation of eligibility, reading and signing a consent form, and the
 administration of the measurements discussed previously. All research staff will have
 received the appropriate training to deliver these fitness assessments, finger pricks, and
 interviews.

 At the end of the baseline visit, research staff will randomly assign participants to the
 intervention or control group. The participant will wear a pedometer for seven consecutive
 days following this initial visit. The paper form for any information collected (e.g. consent
 form) will be stored in the CELLab at UNB in a locked cabinet. The CELLab has limited access;
 only staff has access through a password to the lab. All information will be linked to a
 participant number for which the only linkable personal information (e.g., name, age, sex)
 will be kept in a password protected computer and only the Principal Investigator,
 Co-Investigators, and Research Coordinator will have access to this information. Information
 will be stored for a maximum of 7 years.

 Following this baseline assessment, participants in the intervention group will be assigned
 to an exercise program most convenient to them. This is a 12-week exercise program, offered
 twice a week. Full attendance is not mandatory for being a participant. This is a peer-led
 exercise program, meaning it is instructed by a leader of similar age. This leader has
 received extensive Fitness New Brunswick training to deliver a program aimed to reduce the
 risk of falls and help older adults safely increase their physical activity levels. This
 60-minute exercise program involves aerobic and resistance exercise, as well as flexibility
 and balance activities. The program is currently designed to help individuals meet the
 physical activity guidelines. Participants' numbers will be used to register attendance from
 the leaders.

 Following this 12-week intervention or control period, participants will repeat all the
 baseline assessments (including questionnaires and interviews), with an exception that they
 will not have to wear the pedometer in the follow up visit. The primary objective will be to
 determine whether participants' experiences with the program were positive or negative, and
 specifically identifying participants' attributions of why/how the exercise intervention
 positively impacted their physical and/or mental health.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  50 years of age or older

 -  Can exercise with minimal supervision (cleared for physical activity)

 -  Can commit to a 12-week exercise program (2 sessions/week)

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Under 50 years of age

 -  Not cleared to perform physical activity