Pre-Surgery workout program aims to boost recovery in frail seniors
NCT ID NCT05977556
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This pilot study tests whether a prehabilitation program combining strength exercises and reducing sitting time can improve fitness and recovery in frail adults aged 50+ scheduled for elective surgery. Fifty participants will be randomly assigned to the program or usual care. The goal is to see if this approach can reduce complications and hospital stays.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- neuromuscular strength training and a 'sit less, move more' program
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, low-cost way to help frail older adults recover faster after surgery and reduce complications.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early pilot study with only 50 people, so results may not be conclusive. The trial is currently suspended, and exercise programs can be hard for frail individuals to stick with.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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50 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 50 years of age or older * score of 4-6 (vulnerable, mildly or moderately frail) on the clinical frailty scale (CFS) * scheduled for elective surgery * ambulatory (indoor and/or outdoor) with or without gait aids Exclusion Criteria: * Unstable medical conditions that limit exercise tolerance such as ME/CFS
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Royal Alexandra Hospital
Edmonton, Canada
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