Physical activity programs for balance and fall prevention in elderly: A systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Exercise Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Global populations are aging, leading to increased prevalence of balance decline and falls in elderly adults.
• Reduced balance capacity in older adults is a significant public health concern, impacting independence and quality of life.
• Physical activity is recognized as a key intervention to mitigate age-related balance deterioration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review scientific literature and identify effective physical activity programs for enhancing balance in the elderly.
• To synthesize evidence on various exercise modalities and their impact on balance outcomes in healthy older adults.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the last decade.
• Searches conducted across Medline-NLM, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and SPORTDiscus databases.
• Inclusion of 8 RCTs involving 200 healthy elderly participants (mean age 75.1 years) with intervention durations ranging from 8 to 32 weeks.

Main Results:

• Eight eligible studies were included in the quantitative synthesis.
• Investigated interventions included resistance, aerobic, balance-specific training, T-bow©, wobble board, aerobic step, stability ball, adapted physical activity, and Wii Fit training.
• Balance measures demonstrated significant improvements, ranging from 16% to 42% compared to baseline.

Conclusions:

• Balance is a complex attribute that can be effectively improved through diverse exercise training methods.
• Promoting physical activity is crucial for aging adults to maintain and enhance balance.
• Control groups without intervention exhibited a decline in balance performance, underscoring the efficacy of exercise.