Old‑Age Fitness Plan: A New Test in Primary Care

The PRICA‑POWFRAIL study is a randomised test that looks at whether teaching older people about healthy habits and giving them custom exercise plans can keep them independent. The researchers think that many seniors who are “pre‑frail” or frail are at risk of losing their ability to do everyday tasks. Yet, doctors in regular clinics rarely offer tailored programs that are easy to use and can be scaled up. Instead of the usual approach, this trial will first give participants a short education course about nutrition, sleep and daily movement. After that, each person will receive an exercise prescription created by a computer algorithm that considers their strength, balance and motivation. The goal is to raise the participants’ overall physical capacity and reduce the chance that they will need help later.The team will track outcomes over time, measuring things like walking speed, muscle strength and how often participants need assistance. They will also compare costs and patient satisfaction between the new program and usual care. If successful, the plan could be rolled out in many primary‑care settings. The study is designed to be practical. The education sessions are brief and use everyday language, while the algorithm can run on a simple tablet. This means that nurses or doctors could easily add it to their routine check‑ups without extra training. Researchers hope the trial will show that a mix of knowledge and personalised exercise can keep older adults active longer. If so, primary‑care clinics might soon offer a quick, evidence‑based tool to help seniors stay strong and independent.