Digital Coaching Motivating Young Elderly People towards Physical Activity

Defining digital coaching: a qualitative inductive approach

The term 'digital coaching' is widely used but ill-defined. The present study therefore investigates how digital coaching is defined and how it differentiates from face-to-face coaching and other digital-technology-enabled (DT-enabled) formats, such as digital training, digital mentoring, or digital consulting. A qualitative inductive approach was chosen for more in-depth and open-minded content. Based on previous studies on the importance of asking coaches working in the field, 260 coaches working in the field of digital coaching were surveyed. The given answers depict the importance of differing between forms of DT-enabled coaching. Thus, digital coaching is a DT-enabled, synchronous conversation between a human coach and a human coachee, which is different to artificial intelligence (AI) coaching and coaching that is supported by asynchronous digital and learning communication technologies. Due to this definition and differentiation, future studies can explore the digital coaching process and its effectiveness - particularly in comparison to other formats. Furthermore, this clear definition enables practitioners to maintain professional standards and manage client's expectations of digital coaching while helping clients understand what to expect from digital coaching.

The Impact of Digital Coaching Intervention for Improving Healthy Ageing Dimensions among Older Adults during Their Transition from Work to Retirement

Retirement is a critical step in older adults' lives, so it is important to motivate them to stay physically active, mentally healthy, and socially connected in the transition from work to retirement, including through digital health coaching programs. This study aims to: evaluate the impact of a digital coaching intervention to enhance three healthy ageing dimensions, i.e., physical activity, mental well-being, and socialization of a group of adults near retirement; understand the users' experience; and identify the system strengths and weaknesses. This longitudinal mixed-methods study, carried out in 2021 in Italy and the Netherlands, enrolled 62 individuals. In the first 5 weeks of the trial, participants used a digital coach with the support of human coaches, and then they continued autonomously for another 5 weeks. The use of the digital coach improved the participants' physical activity, mental well-being and self-efficacy during the first period and only the physical activity in the second. An effective coaching system should be flexible and attractive. High levels of personalization remain the golden key to aligning the health program to the physical, cognitive and social status of the intended target, thus increasing the user-system interaction, usability, and acceptability, as well as enhancing adherence to the intervention.

The Technology Acceptance Model and Older Adults' Exercise Intentions-A Systematic Literature Review

Aging is a global phenomenon, and the use of exercise technology by older adults can help them to prevent disease, achieve good health, and ultimately achieve successful aging. In the past, there literature compilation studies have been conducted on sports technology and young people or on the use of technology by the older adults; however, no studies have determined the attitudes of older adults toward sports technology. This review applied a systematic literature analysis to determine the factors that correlate the technology acceptance model with the older population's exercise attitudes. A total of 10 studies were identified as contributing to the use of exercise technology by older adults. The main findings of this review are that, of the 28 factors identified in the 10 studies, only 18 were identified as factors influencing older adults' use of sports technology in the technology acceptance model (TAM). Among these, fifteen factors affected intention, four factors affected perceived ease of use, three factors affected perceived usefulness, and two factors affected attitudes. Finally, discussing the related factors affecting TAM allows us to provide suggestions for future research directions.