ABSTRACT
Research indicates that exercise may reduce the risk of falling in the elderly. Balance training has been a part of the different forms of exercise (e.g., aerobic exercise, strength training, tai chi, qigong) studied, but not in the use of yoga exercise. Scientific findings indicate that multifaceted interventions following the biopsychosocial model are likely to be more successful at reducing multiple fall risks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an 8-week yoga intervention, balance training, and awareness class on measures of postural control, attention and visual search strategy, confidence, fear, and awareness to environmental hazards. Eighteen older community dwelling women, age M=76.06, SD=6.35, randomly selected for 3 treatment groups participated in a 2-weekly, 1 hour yoga (n=8), balance training (n=5) or an awareness class (n=5) for 8 weeks. Baseline assessments included measures of balance derived from the Neurocom Balance Master Machine (NC) and the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessments (POMA), attention (Trail Making Test; TMT, and the Walking Trail Making Test ;WTMT), confidence (Activity-specific Balance Confidence test ; ABC), fear (Fear Efficacy Scale; FES), environmental awareness (Environmental Awareness Test; EAT) and steadiness (Steadiness Measure; SM). Neurocom and EAT measures were completed again post-intervention, while POMA, WTMT, ABC, FES, and SM measures were completed on a weekly basis as well as post-intervention and follow up. The TMT was completed at Post intervention and follow up. Statistical analysis did not show significant effects for yoga over balance training or control. Descriptive analysis in the form of effect size showed the yoga group’s mean differences, pre-post, had improvement in the POMA (postural control, ES=1.61), SM (postural control, ES=0.66), and WTMT, (attention, ES=1.08). Additionally, yoga improved equally as well as balance training in the ABC (confidence, ES=0.32). Balance training resulted in stronger (pre-post) effects in the NCEX (postural control, ES=1.30), NCC (postural control, ES=1.05), TMT (attention, ES=0.72) and the FES (reduced fear, ES=0.52). The control-awareness treatment (i.e., control) resulted in the strongest changes over both the exercise treatments in EAT (awareness, ES=0.44). The control improved equally as well in the FES (ES=0.46) as the balance group (ES=0.52). The descriptive results suggest that yoga and balance training may have potential as an intervention for improving physiological and psychological fall risk factors among older adults.
