NCT04199182

Exercise Training to Improve PTSD Symptoms and Health in Older Veterans

Exploring the Effects of Exercise Training on PTSD Symptoms and Physical Health in Older Veterans With PTSD

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (actual)
• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among military Veterans and is more than just a psychological condition; PTSD has profound negative impacts on health, function, and quality of life. Older Veterans are the largest patient population served by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and many have lived with PTSD for 40+ years. Veterans with PTSD engage in low levels of physical activity and spend much of their time in sedentary activities, adding to their risk of physical disability. The benefits of exercise on mental health and physical well-being in older adults are well-substantiated, but the effects of exercise training on late-life PTSD symptoms is a new area of study. This study is designed to examine the effects of 6 months of supervised exercise training on PTSD symptoms and PTSD-related conditions (e.g., functional impairment, sleep) in 188 older Veterans with PTSD.

Conditions

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Exercise Training	A multi-component group exercise intervention that emphasizes functional training. Duration is 6 months, and frequency is 3x per week.
OTHER	Healthy Aging Attention Control (HA-ATC)	Participants in the HA-ATC group will receive a health education program modeled on the "10 Keys to Healthy Aging" curriculum and the National Council on Aging's "Aging Mastery Program." HA-ATC will include an 8-week face-to-face group program followed by bi-weekly sessions for the remaining 4 months.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-06-07
• Primary completion: 2025-02-10
• Completion: 2025-02-28
• First posted: 2019-12-13
• Last updated: 2026-03-25
• Results posted: 2026-03-25

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States