FUNCTIONAL TRAINING AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY OF OLDER ADULTS: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Functional training has been recommended to preserve the autonomy of older people, since it organizes exercise around daily movement patterns. This study aimed to describe the contributions of functional training to the functional capacity of older adults. An integrative literature review with descriptive and interpretive synthesis was carried out in the PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO and LILACS databases in October 2026, considering intervention studies published between 2019 and 2026 in which all participants were aged 60 years or older. Of the 242 records retrieved, 19 studies were included, mostly randomized clinical trials (n = 13) and studies with exclusively female samples (n = 10). Protocols lasted from six weeks to six months, usually with two to three weekly sessions of 45 to 60 minutes, and were assessed mainly by the Senior Fitness Test, the Short Physical Performance Battery and the Timed Up and Go test. The studies converged on gains in lower limb strength and power, dynamic balance, mobility and aerobic capacity, whereas upper limb strength, handgrip strength and flexibility showed inconsistent responses. Regarding activities of daily living, two studies used standardized scales of basic and instrumental activities, three applied tests based on everyday tasks and one used self-reported measures of function, with mostly favorable results, although with loss of effect in the long term. It is concluded that functional training contributes to maintaining and improving the functional capacity of older adults, especially through components related to locomotion and postural transfers, and that studies with standardized scales of functional independence, risk of bias assessment and long-term follow-up are needed.