Effect of 12 Weeks of Hatha Balance Flow Yoga on Fall and Injury Risk in Postmenopausal Women

Postmenopausal women are at an increased risk of falls and fractures. Upper-extremity fractures because of forward falls are common in women in their 50s and 60s, but little research has focused on the potential fall and injury risk factors within this age bracket and ways to mitigate the risks. Yoga is a promising intervention for older women to improve balance, muscle strength, and upper-body reactions for a safer fall landing. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of 12 weeks of a hatha Balance Flow Yoga class on forward fall and injury risk factors in postmenopausal women. Thirty-six women between the ages of 50 and 70 participated in an intervention study where they were tested at baseline (base), 12 weeks after a control period (pre), and again 12 weeks after participating in the group-based yoga intervention offered twice per week (post). Outcome measures included fall risk factors (balance, balance confidence, lower-body strength, and dual task) and forward fall injury risk factors (upper-body strength, range of motion, and response time). Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance found a significant time improvement in fall risk factors and forward fall injury risk factors (p = 0.004). Specifically, there was significant improvement in balance (one-leg stand), lower-body strength (30-second sit to stand), and upper-body response time after the intervention. Tailoring yoga classes for older women to focus on improving fall-related risk factors may help to provide effective options to improve their ability to prevent serious consequences of fall-related injury.