Aged practitioners of orienteering and hiking as a model of healthy aging: physical fitness and quality of life from a randomized clinical trial

Methods: Physical and sports activities in nature have proven to be highly relevant for aged practitioners as they promote vigor, vitality, and well-being. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared the effects between orienteering and hiking modalities, with n=96 participants allocated to three groups: the orienteering group (OG), hiking group (HG), and control group (CG). Tests administered included hand grip strength, chair stand, 6 min walk, chair sit-&-reach, and balance. Systemic blood pressure parameters and resting heart rate were monitored in the pre-test and post-test. Differences were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE), and effect size (ES) was calculated. Unpaired and paired tests were employed to assess baseline and post-intervention differences after 24 weeks. Results: This RCT highlights the effects of the interaction between groups and time. The main differences were found in the balance in which the OG, reduced -6.23 seconds, with a variation of 29.9% (ES=0.83), while the HG it to -2.12 seconds (ES=0.49), with a variation of 9.9%. Changes in systolic blood pressure (p=0,014) and diastolic blood pressure (p<0.001) parameters were also notable in the OG. Both groups showed a significant intervention effect (p<0.001) compared to the control group, with a large effect size (≥8.0). The quality of life of the intervention groups significantly improved (p<0.001) compared to the control group (p=0.571). Conclusion: Both modalities showed the intervention effect on physical fitness and quality of life, with orienteering demonstrating a greater impact on balance and blood pressure control.