Balance training in 70-year-old women

Abstract

The aim of this study was to discover whether or not the balance of a group of older women could be improved using nine simple, clinical balance tests before and after a training period. A total of 34 healthy 70-year-old women volunteered for the study and they were randomised into two groups: the first received 1 hour's training twice a week for 5 weeks; the second the control group did not receive any training. The tests included: standing on one leg (a) with or without visual feedback and (b) with or without rotation of the neck; walking along a beam; walking in a figure-of-eight; and walking as fast as possible. The balance of the training group improved significantly in six out of the nine tests, whereas no such improvement was seen among the controls. We conclude that healthy women aged 70 years are able to improve their balance both when standing and walking.