CA20104 – Ne wo k on e idence-based
physical ac i i y in old age (PhysAgeNe )
Deli e able D1.4
D1.4 - Cu iculum o eaching s uden s and young scien is s on
he desc ip ion ool
RCO6 - De elop a desc ip ion ool o in e en ions based on EBM
s anda ds.
Con ibu o s
Wo king G oup 1
Langea d, An oine ; Lambe i, Nicola ; Giannaki, Ch is o o os ; Teloudi,
And iana; Ne z, Yael ; Voelcke -Rehage, Claudia & Wollesen, Be ina
SUMMARY
1. In oduc ion ........................................................................................................................................ 3
2. Cu iculum CONTENT ....................................................................................................................... 3
2.1. Con ex ega ding aging ...................................................................................................... 3
2.2. Physical ac i i y in olde age – Cu en s a e o he knowledge ................................... 3
2.3. Conduc ing and e alua ing physical ac i i y in e en ions o olde adul s .............. 4
2.4. Repo ing s anda ds in physical ac i i y o olde adul s ............................................... 4
2.5. Technology Requi emen s o Physical Ac i i y In e en ions ..................................... 5
2.6. Fu u e Di ec ions ................................................................................................................... 5
3. De elopmen and I e a i e P ocess ............................................................................................... 6
4. Adop ion and Implemen a ion Ac oss Eu ope ............................................................................ 7
5. Suppo ing documen s .................................................................................................................... 7
6. Re e ences used o de elopping he cu iculum ....................................................................... 7
1. INTRODUCTION
The aim was o de elop a cu iculum o eaching s uden s and young scien is s he
desc ip ion ool o physical ac i i y in e en ion in olde age acco ding o EBM s anda ds
(e.g. in ensi y, olume, equency o exe cise /ac i i y, p ac ical aspec s) usable o aining
schools, and sha ing he esul s p oduced by he PhysAgeNe wo king g oups. This
cu iculum will be included in 5 o mo e pos g adua e s udy p og ams. The cu iculum will
be deployed as a 3h wo kshop pos g adua e le el s uden s.
2. CURRICULUM CONTENT
The cu iculum was co-de eloped by membe s o PhysAgeNe Wo king G oup 1 h ough an
i e a i e, e idence-based p ocess ha combined expe consensus, s uden eedback, and
alignmen wi h es ablished EBM amewo ks (FITT, CONSORT, TIDieR) o ensu e ha monized
eaching ac oss Eu opean pos g adua e p og ams.
2.1. Con ex ega ding aging
In his i s sec ion, he eache will in oduce s uden s o he undamen al concep s o aging,
ocusing on i s physiological, cogni i e, and social dimensions. The eaching will begin wi h
an o e iew o demog aphic ends in Eu ope, emphasizing he inc easing p opo ion o
olde adul s and he challenges and oppo uni ies his p esen s. The eache will explain he
he e ogenei y o aging, illus a ing how biological, psychological, and social ac o s
con ibu e o di e se aging ajec o ies among indi iduals. S uden s will lea n abou he key
physiological changes associa ed wi h aging, such as declines in muscle mass, bone densi y,
and ca dio ascula unc ion, as well as cogni i e changes, including slowe p ocessing
speeds and memo y challenges. These concep s will be amed wi hin he b oade con ex o
age- ela ed diseases and mul imo bidi y, highligh ing hei impac on heal h and quali y o
li e. The knowledge p esen ed in his session is based on ecen esea ch on physiological
changes and mul imo bidi y in olde popula ions and inco po a e indings om Eu opean
demog aphic s udies and key publica ions on heal hy aging and plas ici y.
Ac i i y: To enhance he e lec ion, using an aging simula ion sui (i su icien ime du ing
his wo kshop) o a mo ie clip abou aging could o e s uden s a hands-on unde s anding
o he physical and cogni i e changes olde adul s expe ience. This expe ien ial app oach
can os e empa hy and deepe insigh in o he di e si y o he aging popula ion.
By he end o his sec ion, s uden s will ha e a clea unde s anding o he complexi y o
aging and i s implica ions o heal h, well-being, and in e en ion design.
2.2. Physical ac i i y in olde age – Cu en s a e o he knowledge
In his sec ion, he eache will explo e he ole o physical ac i i y in olde adul s, p esen ing
e idence on how physical ac i i y posi i ely in luences a ious aspec s o aging, including
mobili y, cogni i e unc ion, and emo ional well-being. Fo example, he eache will explain
mechanisms such as imp o ed ca dio ascula heal h, muscle s eng h, and neu oplas ici y,
which unde lie hese bene i s. S uden s will also engage wi h he knowledge gaps in his
ield, such as he need o iden i y speci ic ypes o exe cises ha p o ide op imal bene i s o
di e en mechanisms and ou comes. The con en o his session d aws om key sou ces,
including WHO guidelines on physical ac i i y, ecen sys ema ic e iews (e.g., Wollesen e al.,
2024), and indings om he PhysAgeNe ne wo k. E idence om s udies on exe cise and
aging will suppo he discussion, ensu ing ha s uden s gain insigh s g ounded in eliable
scien i ic esea ch.
Ac i i y: Th ough guided discussion s uden s will add ess key ques ions such as: How do we
adap exe cise in ensi y, equency, and ype o he needs o olde adul s? Wha s a egies
can we use o ensu e sa e y while main aining he e ec i eness o aining in e en ions?
This ac i i y emphasizes he impo ance o e idence-based, pe sonalized exe cise
in e en ions, os e ing a holis ic unde s anding o heal hy aging.
By he end o he session, s uden s will unde s and he es ablished bene i s o physical
ac i i y o olde adul s, ecognize he challenges o in e en ion design, and app ecia e
he impo ance o e idence-based app oaches in p omo ing heal hy aging.
2.3. Conduc ing and e alua ing physical ac i i y in e en ions o olde adul s
The eache will in oduce he ounda ional p inciples o designing e ec i e physical ac i i y
in e en ions o olde adul s, s a ing wi h he FITT amewo k—F equency, In ensi y, Time,
and Type—which se es as he co ne s one o s uc u ing in e en ions. They will explain
how o align in e en ion goals wi h desi ed ou comes, such as imp o ing s eng h, balance,
o ca dio ascula i ness, while accoun ing o indi idual a iabili y. Emphasis will be placed
on he impo ance o p og ession, ensu ing exe cises g adually inc ease in di icul y, and
speci ici y, ailo ing ac i i ies o di ec ly add ess a ge ed ou comes. Addi ionally, s uden s
will lea n how o de ine hei a ge popula ion by unde s anding he di e si y wi hin olde
adul s, add essing a ia ions in i ness le els, heal h condi ions, and p io ac i i y expe ience.
To ensu e he success o in e en ions, he eache will explain s a egies o moni o ing
pa icipan s’ p og ess. Th ough his, s uden s will acqui e he skills o design, implemen , and
adap in e en ions ha a e bo h sa e and e ec i e, le e aging bes p ac ices om
PhysAgeNe ecommenda ions, cu en exe cise physiology esea ch, and alida ed
assessmen ools.
By he end o his sec ion, s uden s will be able o design ailo ed physical ac i i y
in e en ions o olde adul s, aking in o accoun indi idual needs and desi ed
ou comes. This will equip hem wi h he knowledge and skills o c ea e impac ul,
adap i e, and esea ch-in o med exe cise p og ams o aging popula ions.
2.4. Repo ing s anda ds in physical ac i i y o olde adul s
The eache will ocus on equipping s uden s wi h he skills o e alua e physical ac i i y
in e en ions igo ously. They will in oduce he p inciples o Randomized Con olled T ials
(RCTs), emphasizing hei ole in assessing in e en ion e icacy while add essing speci ic
challenges in olde popula ions, such as andomiza ion, blinding, and e hical conside a ions.
S uden s will unde s and he impo ance o anspa en epo ing using amewo ks such as
CONSORT, ensu ing indings can be eplica ed and applied in o he con ex s. This knowledge
is d awn om global guidelines, including WHO ecommenda ions and bes p ac ices o
e alua ing physical ac i i y ou comes in olde adul s.
Ac i i y: The in e ac i e ac i i y will in ol e Wooclap ques ions ocusing on he impo ance
o epo ing s anda ds in physical ac i i y in e en ions. S uden s will engage wi h opics
such as documen ing exe cise in ensi y and p og ession, add essing pa icipan
demog aphics, epo ing sa e y and ad e se e en s, and ensu ing eplicabili y.
By he end o his session, s uden s will ha e a comp ehensi e unde s anding o
designing, implemen ing, and e alua ing physical ac i i y in e en ions o olde adul s.
They will ecognize he c i ical ole o de ailed epo ing in ensu ing in e en ions a e
eplicable, anspa en , and impac ul, p o iding hem wi h esea ch and p ac ice skills.
2.5. Technology Requi emen s o Physical Ac i i y In e en ions
The eache will in oduce s uden s o he ole o echnology in suppo ing physical ac i i y
in e en ions o olde adul s. The session will ocus on he ypes o echnologies commonly
used, such as wea able i ness acke s, mobile heal h applica ions, and ele- ehabili a ion
pla o ms. The eache will explain how hese ools can enhance engagemen , moni o
p og ess, and pe sonalize in e en ions o mee indi idual needs. S uden s will lea n how o
in eg a e echnology in o in e en ions, add essing i s po en ial o imp o e adhe ence and
ou comes. The discussion will also highligh challenges, such as usabili y issues and he
digi al li e acy gap among olde adul s and explo e s a egies o o e come hese ba ie s.
E idence-based indings, including esea ch om PhysAgeNe , will be used o illus a e he
ad an ages and limi a ions o echnology-assis ed in e en ions.
Th ough his session, s uden s will gain p ac ical insigh s in o selec ing and
implemen ing app op ia e echnologies, conside ing bo h hei bene i s and he unique
needs o olde adul s. This unde s anding will p epa e hem o design in e en ions ha
le e age echnology o maximize impac while add essing accessibili y and inclusi i y.
2.6. Fu u e Di ec ions
In his las sec ion, he eache will explo e eme ging challenges and oppo uni ies, ocusing
on emo ional, socie al, and en i onmen al ac o s. The eache will emphasize he
impo ance o add essing mo i a ional aspec s, such as building con idence, os e ing social
suppo , and c ea ing accessible en i onmen s o exe cise. They will also discuss he ole o
li e e en s, such as e i emen o be ea emen , in shaping physical ac i i y habi s and
s a egies o mi iga e hei impac on pa icipa ion. S uden s will lea n how o inco po a e
hese ac o s in o in e en ion design, ensu ing ha p og ams a e no only e ec i e bu also
sus ainable and adap able o indi idual ci cums ances. Addi ionally, he session will add ess
he in luence o clima e change on physical ac i i y, such as hea s ess, ai quali y issues, and
hei implica ions o olde adul s. Adap a ion s a egies, including adjus ed aining
schedules, hyd a ion planning, and al e na i e low-impac ac i i ies, will be in oduced.
By he end, s uden s will be equipped o hink c i ically abou u u e challenges and
de elop inno a i e solu ions o suppo ac i e and heal hy aging in di e se con ex s.
3. DEVELOPMENT AND ITERATIVE PROCESS
The cu iculum was de eloped h ough an i e a i e co-c ea ion p ocess led by PhysAgeNe
Wo king G oup 1, in eg a ing expe ise om exe cise physiology, ge on ology, psychology,
and educa ion sciences. The p ocess ollowed h ee main s ages:
3.1. Ini ial design phase:
Expe s compiled e idence om PhysAgeNe deli e ables, WHO guidelines, and ecen
sys ema ic e iews o iden i y co e componen s o an e idence-based desc ip ion ool o
physical ac i i y in e en ions in olde adul s (FITT, CONSORT, TIDieR, PETRO).
3.1. Pilo implemen a ion, e alua ion and e inemen :
The i s e sion o he 3-hou wo kshop we e es ed wi hin pos g adua e p og ams in
Fe a a, Caen, Munich and Cologne. Each session combined heo e ical inpu , guided
discussions, and hands-on ac i i ies whe e s uden s p ac iced using he desc ip ion ool on
sample in e en ion cases. S uden eedback was sys ema ically collec ed h ough
quan i a i e ques ionnai es and open commen s. Ac oss he ou si es (n = >150 esponses),
s uden s consis en ly a ed he con en as clea , use ul, and di ec ly applicable o hei
esea ch (Table 1). S uden s desc ibed he cu iculum as well s uc u ed, opical, and
p esen ed in an in e es ing and c i ical way, wi h p ac ical examples and clea links o
esea ch p ac ice. They app ecia ed he oppo uni y o discussion and he in eg a ion o
cu en PhysAgeNe indings, epo ing ha he ac i e componen s and case s udies helped
hem unde s and how o plan and desc ibe in e en ions. Se e al commen s highligh ed he
ele ance o he con en o hesis wo k and p o essional con ex s, no ing ha he module
o e ed new pe spec i es on e idence-based physical ac i i y. Cons uc i e ema ks poin ed
o some epe i ion, slides occasionally oo dense, and a ew sessions being oo heo e ical o
insu icien ly in e ac i e. S uden s also sugges ed adding mo e isual elemen s o sho
ideos, cla i ying lea ning objec i es ea lie in he session, and p o iding local-language
slides when possible. The inal cu iculum he e o e e lec s a cyclic imp o emen app oach,
wi h changes implemen ed be ween each eaching session.
Table 1: S uden e alua ion o he Cu iculum
E alua ion C i e ia
Caen
Müns e
Fe a a
Cologne
🧠🧠 Easy o unde s and
3.2
3.1
4.8
3,67
📖📖 Clea explana ions
4.5
3.2
4.8
4,33
💡💡 In e es ing
4.6
3.0
4.5
3,54
🛠🛠
Use ul o u u e p ac ice
4.8 3.3 4.5 3,54
4. ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS EUROPE
The PhysAgeNe cu iculum has now been o mally adop ed and implemen ed ac oss i e
Eu opean uni e si ies, ensu ing alignmen wi h di e se pos g adua e p og ams and na ional
educa ional amewo ks.
1. Uni e si y o Caen No mandy (F ance) – La e 2024
2. Uni e si y o Fe a a (I aly) – La e 2024
3. Uni e si y o Muens e (Ge many) – Ea ly 2025
4. Ge man Spo Uni e si y Cologne (Ge many) – Mid 2025
5. I an Bobe skyj L i S a e Uni e si y o Physical Cul u e (Uk aine) (Uni e si y-le el ap-
p o al o implemen a ion acqui ed in la e 2025)
This expansion demons a es he cu iculum’s ans e abili y and accep ance ac oss educa-
ional sys ems wi h di e en acc edi a ion equi emen s.
5. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
The nex phase o he PhysAgeNe cu iculum will emphasize dissemina ion, expansion, and
imp o emen . The ne wo k aims o each addi ional uni e si ies ac oss Eu ope and beyond,
wi hin he PhysAgeNe and EGRAPA communi ies. We would like o c ea e a se o anima ed
capsule ideos, each illus a ing a speci ic sec ion o he cu iculum o suppo emo e
lea ning and enhance engagemen . In pa allel, membe s o he conso ium will p epa e a
comp ehensi e eaching guide en i led “How o Teach he PhysAgeNe Cu iculum”,
p o iding s anda dized ins uc ions, assessmen examples, and pedagogical
ecommenda ions o acili a e i s in eg a ion in o di e se pos g adua e con ex s. All
ma e ials, including slides, wo kshee s, ideos, and he guide, will be ansla ed in o mul iple
Eu opean languages and made eely a ailable h ough he EGRAPA websi e o ensu e
b oad accessibili y. Finally, he cu iculum will be con inuously upda ed o inco po a e he
mos ecen scien i ic ad ances and me hodological ou pu s gene a ed wi hin PhysAgeNe
du ing he inal yea o he Ac ion, ensu ing ha i emains aligned wi h he la es e idence
and bes p ac ices in p omo ing physical ac i i y o olde adul s.
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