Effect of Physical Activity on Static and Dynamic Balance among the Elderly Download PDF

Introduction: with advancing age, and the impact of age-related chronic diseases, a decline in balance as a cognitive capability function is also observed. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of physical activity on the static and dynamic balance of the elderly living in the nursing home. Materials and Methods: In this study, 36 healthy subjects with no history of regular exercise (71.8 ± 5.6 years old and body mass index 23.4 ± 6.8) were selected by convenient sampling. After obtaining informed written consent and the physician permission, qualified subjects were enrolled in the study and were examined before and after physical exercise. To evaluate dynamic and static balance of the subjects, we used TUG and Sharpend-Romberg tests. The exercises were progressively implemented for 8 weeks and 3 hours per week. To analyze the data, appropriate statistical tests at the significant level of P <0.05 and SPSS version 20 were used. Results: The results of this study showed that there is no significant difference between the static and dynamic balance of the elderly before and after the intervention (p <0.05). Therefore physical exercises can increase the static and dynamic balance of the elderly. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that physical exercise has a significant effect on the static and dynamic balance of the elderly. Therefore, it is recommended to use these balance exercises to improve the static and dynamic balance of the elderly.