Rejuvenation Research· 2013Q3· Review
Effects of Different Exercise Interventions on Risk of Falls, Gait Ability, and Balance in Physically Frail Older Adults: A Systematic Review
- 936citations
- Q3SCImago
- 2013year
Short summary
Multi-component exercise programs combining strength, endurance, and balance training appear most effective for improving fall risk, gait, balance, and strength in physically frail older adults.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Multi-component exercise is the most effective strategy for improving multiple functional outcomes in frail older adults.
- Seven out of ten trials showed reduced fall incidence after physical training.
- Six out of eleven trials reported enhanced gait ability with exercise interventions.
- Seven out of ten trials demonstrated improved balance performance.
- Nine out of thirteen trials showed increased muscle strength.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
The aim of this review was to recommend training strategies that improve the functional capacity in physically frail older adults based on scientific literature, focusing specially in supervised exercise programs that improved muscle strength, fall risk, balance, and gait ability. Scielo, Science Citation Index, MEDLINE, Scopus, Sport Discus, and ScienceDirect databases were searched from 1990 to 2012. Studies must have mentioned the effects of exercise training on at least one of the following four parameters: Incidence of falls, gait, balance, and lower-body strength. Twenty studies that investigated the effects of multi-component exercise training (10), resistance training (6), endurance training (1), and balance training (3) were included in the present revision. Ten trials investigated the effects of exercise on the incidence of falls in elderly with physical frailty. Seven of them have found a fewer falls incidence after physical training when compared with the control group. Eleven trials investigated the effects of exercise intervention on the gait ability. Six of them showed enhancements in the gait ability. Ten trials investigated the effects of exercise intervention on the balance performance and seven of them demonstrated enhanced balance. Thirteen trials investigated the effects of exercise intervention on the muscle strength and nine of them showed increases in the muscle strength. The multi-component exercise intervention composed by strength, endurance and balance training seems to be the best strategy to improve rate of falls, gait ability, balance, and strength performance in physically frail older adults.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Rejuvenation Research, 2013 · DOI ↗
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Field: Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and RehabilitationHealth Professions