Exercise program for older adults in Santoña, Spain, to be studied over four years

This study evaluates the effects of a community-based multicomponent exercise program on physical function, frailty, and sarcopenia in older adults living in the municipality of Santoña (Cantabria, Spain). The exercise program is organized and delivered by the Santoña Town Council as part of its public health services for older residents and is not created for research purposes; it will continue regardless of the outcome of this study. Researchers are only evaluating participants who voluntarily agree to be assessed before and after each 36-week cycle of the program, over four consecutive academic years (2026-2030). The main question this study aims to answer is whether continued participation in this real-world, community-based multicomponent exercise program (based on the Vivifrail model) leads to meaningful improvements in physical function, muscle strength, and cardiorespiratory capacity, and helps reverse indicators of frailty and sarcopenia in independent, community-dwelling older adults. Participants will complete functional and physical tests, including balance, gait speed, chair-stand performance, handgrip strength, and a 6-minute walk test, at the start and end of each 36-week exercise cycle. No blood or biological samples will be collected.