Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Original articleComparative Impacts of Tai Chi, Balance Training, and a Specially-Designed Yoga Program on Balance in Older Fallers
Section snippets
Participants
Forty-eight healthy older persons participated in the study. To be included, the individual had to be ≥60 years old, be living independently, require no assistance in performing activities of daily living, and have fallen at least once in the past year. Individuals with neurologic impairment affecting balance; severe musculoskeletal impairment; unstable chronic disease state; significant visual or vestibular impairment; uncontrolled hypertension; simultaneous use of cardiovascular,
Subject characteristics
Table 1 provides subjects' characteristics. The only significant between-group difference was for age (P=.017), with the Tai Chi participants being significantly younger than the standard balance exercise program participants (mean difference ± SD, 7.53±2.55y).
Field tests
No significant group differences were detected at baseline for any field test except maximal walking speed (P=.01). Results for the 8-foot up-and-go test, 1-leg stance on the left and right sides, FR test on the left and right sides, and
Discussion
Our findings indicate that the balance yoga program can improve balance and gait in older adults to a similar degree as the other interventions examined.
For field tests, performances significantly improved for all interventions. The balance improvements seen with Tai Chi reflected those reported in a recent systematic review by Schleicher et al.9 They reported that with the exception of studies examining patients with Parkinson's disease and type II diabetes and active younger participants, the
Conclusions
The balance yoga training proved as effective as Tai Chi and a standard balance exercise program at improving balance in older fallers. Given the exponential rise in yoga participation, this program offers an attractive alternative to older individuals already involved in yogic training or those looking for an alternative to more traditional exercise interventions.
Suppliers
- a.
AMTI, 176 Waltham St, Watertown, MA 02472.
- b.
Perry Dynamics Inc, 2810 N Jasper St, Decatur, IL 62526.
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Disclosures: none.