Older adults experiences of supervised hardstyle kettlebell training: A qualitative study from the BELL pragmatic controlled trial

Meigh, N. J.; Davidson, A. R.; Keogh, J. W. L.; Hing, W.

Objectives: This study examined older adults' experiences of participating in the BELL trial, involving 12-weeks of group-based hardstyle kettlebell training. Methods: In the BELL trial, 28 insufficiently active older adults (15 women, 13 men, 59-79 years) completed 6 weeks of face-to-face group training, and 6 weeks of home-based training. In-depth semi-structured interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, inductively coded, with themes constructed thematically from patterns of shared meaning. Results: Four higher-order themes were developed that reflect older adults' experiences participating in a group-exercise program of hardstyle kettlebell training. These included: (1) It's one of the best things we've done - enjoying the physical and psychosocial benefits, (2) It's improved it tremendously! - change in a long-term health condition, (3) It put me on a better course - overcoming challenges, (4) I wasn't just a number - feeling part of a group/community. Discussion: Findings highlight the perceived physical and psychological benefits of participating in hardstyle group kettlebell training, the value attributed to being part of an age-matched community of like-minded people engaged in group-exercise, as well as the challenges participants faced, and the sense of achievement in overcoming them. Implications for program design and delivery, and future research are discussed.