Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license
Authors
1 University of Tehran
2 Tarbiat Modares University
Abstract
The aim of this research was to examine the effect of a training intervention
program on fall-related motor performance in the male elderly with no regular
physical activities. For this purpose, 39 out of 130 participants in screen test were
selected and assigned to training group (n=20) and control group (n=19). Subjects
aged between 60 and 70 in experimental were 73.68% and in the control group
43.75% and subjects aged 71 and above were 26.31% in the experimental group
and 56.25% in the control group. Experimental group participated in a 10-week
intervention program (3 sessions per week and 90 minutes per session). Data were
collected with 30-s seat, sit and reach, one-leg standing (eyes open and closed), up
and go, 10-meter walk and 10-meter obstacle walk tests. In this semi-experimental
research, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and independent t test was used to analyse motor
performance measures. Results indicated a significant improve in mean scores of
lower extremity strength (27.37 rep), flexibility (29.28 cm), static balance with eyes
open (60.94 sec) and closed (19.36 sec), agility and dynamic balance (4.10 sec),
10-meter walk (3.35 sec) and 10-meter obstacle walk (4.03 sec) in the experimental
group after the 10-week training intervention program (P<0.05). The findings
confirmed the effect of training interventions (especially strength training) on
improving fall-related motor performance and preventing probable falls in the
elderly.
Keywords
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