Effect of 8-Week of Selected Aerobic Exercise on Static and Dynamic Balance in Healthy Elderly Inactive Men

Objectives Old age refers to years near or passed the middle age and therefore, near to the end of life cycle. Old-aged people have limited reviving capability and are more at risk of catching diseases, syndromes, and ailments. Falling is one of the most common problems in the elderly that occur due to their inability to maintain balance. This study aimed to examine the effect of aerobic exercises on static and dynamic balance in healthy elderly inactive men.
Methods & Materials This quasi-experimental research was done in older people living in a nursing home in Qazvin, Iran. The study population included 200 elderly men (65-75 years old); of them, 26 healthy, inactive men were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental (13 subjects) and control (13 subjects) groups. The experimental group participated in selected exercise programs for 8 weeks. We used personal information questionnaire to check the inclusion criteria that comprised independency in doing daily chores, lack of problems in vision or fall during the last year, and not having joints dislocation, chronic arthritis or vertigo. In the case of having these problems, the subjects were excluded from the study. Stork balance test and Timed Up and Go test were used to measure the static and dynamic balance of subjects before the initiation and after the termination of the program. The statistical analyses were done by paired and independent t-tests.
Results The results of independent t-test did not indicate any significant differences between 2 groups with regard to age, height, and weight (P>0.05). Homogeneity was observed in the 2 groups with respect to individual features affecting balance and walking. After performing the aerobic exercise program, the dynamic balance in the experimental group increased significantly (PConclusion Our results showed that regular aerobic exercise improves dynamic balance in elderly men. We also found that jogging and walking improved dynamic balance. The improvement in balance may be due to the increase in nervous compatibility (due to exercise); increase in fitness, strength, and motion domain; improvement in aerobic status, response time and mental status; improvement in neuromuscular control, including a decrease in changing movement units; and improvement in simultaneous movement units. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between body composition and movement with balance. Therefore, regular aerobic activities are recommended as a suitable training method for improving balance.