Effects of aerobic exercise on balance and mobility in individuals with visual impairment: a systematic review

This meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of aerobic exercise on the balance and mobility of visually impaired individuals and identify potential factors affecting these outcomes.

A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. The eligibility criteria for the study included visual impairment in the participant population, type of visual impairment, aerobic exercise intervention, controlled trials, age, design, and outcomes. Data were extracted based on these seven questions, and a narrative synthesis approach was employed for analysis. A comprehensive search of the database yielded 1987 articles, and ultimately, 14 randomized controlled trials involving 685 participants were selected for inclusion.

The study findings indicate that aerobic exercise can greatly enhance the static balance ability [SMD = 1.23, 95%CI 0.80-1.66, p < 0.00001] and dynamic balance ability [SMD = 1.04, 95% CI 0.09-1.99, p = 0.03] of individuals with visual impairment. However, it appeared that mobility did not exhibit significant improvement [SMD = -0.49, 95% CI -1.06 to 0.09, p = 0.10]. Through subgroup analysis, it was found that exercise frequency, age, and degree of visual impairment significantly affect static balance.

Engaging in aerobic exercise 3-6 times per week, with each session lasting between 30 and 60 min, and continuing for a cycle of 8-16 weeks has been shown to enhance both dynamic and static balance in individuals with visual impairments.