Abstract
As people age, static stability and balance decline. This can cause them to lose their balance and fall, which leads to a higher risk of future falls. Falls are one of the leading causes of death in adults 55 and older. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to find out if exercising regularly can increase static stability and balance, reducing the risk of falls for those 55 and older. METHODS: There were 5 subjects, which included 3 women and 2 men. They were all 55 years old or older. To measure the subjects' balance, a variation of the 4 Stage Balance Test was used. Participants stood on 2 Kinvent Delta Force Plates in four different stances. The first stance was a double-leg stance with feet shoulder-width apart with each foot on a single plate. The second was a staggered stance with the toe of one foot lining up with the instep of the other foot with the dominant foot in front. The third was a tandem stance in which one foot was placed directly in front of the other with the dominant foot in front and the final stance was a one-leg stance on their dominant leg. For all four stances, they stared at an x that was placed eye level on a wall directly in front of them. They then held each stance for ten seconds. They were rated on a scale of 1-4 depending on whether they were able to complete the tests. The sway or maximal distance from the center was measured in the antero-posterior axis and the medio-lateral axis in each stance. They filled out a questionnaire that included 15 questions adapted from the National Council on Aging Falls Questionnaire. RESULTS: Non-exercisers scored an average of 3 ± 1.41 on the 4 stage balance test while exercisers scored a 3.67 ± 0.58, meaning those who exercised had greater stability and balance. On the AP Sway Bipodal balance test, non-exercisers scored an average of 80.95 ± 8.56, while exercisers scored an average of 51.27 ± 41.19, meaning those who did not exercise swayed more in the anterior and posterior directions during their test. On the ML Sway Bipodal balance test, non-exercisers scored an average of 29.8 ± 22.91, while exercisers scored an average of 8.15 ± 1.57, meaning those who did not exercise swayed more in the medial and lateral directions during their test. CONCLUSION: Regular exercisers had greater static stability, which indicates a lower risk of falls. This study had only 5 subjects. With more subjects, the data will yield more information. The connection between the amount of exercise, the type of exercise, and balance needs to be explored further.
Recommended Citation
Heaberlin, Angela N. and Chelette, Amber M.
(2025)
"Exercising Regularly Can Improve Static Balance for Adults 55 and Older,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
17, Article 160.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss17/160