title: The immediate effect of physical activity on standing balance in healthy and balance-impaired older people.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if standing balance was affected by moderate levels of physical activity in healthy young, healthy older and balance-impaired older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one healthy young, 33 healthy older and 22 balance-impaired older adults took part. Centre of pressure (COP) motion was measured before and immediately after participants undertook 14 minutes of self-paced, moderate intensity physical activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All groups responded in a similar manner. Following the physical activity circuit, mediolateral COP displacement and standard deviation of mediolateral COP position increased by 5% and 17%, respectively. Anteroposterior COP displacement and COP standard deviation, and total COP displacement, did not change. All changes were small compared with the magnitude of the group differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A small increase in fall risk may exist immediately following physical activity and older people may need to exercise caution following moderate intensity bouts of physical activity to prevent falling.
authors: School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia. t.egerton@uq.edu.au
authors: Thorlene
authors: T
authors: Egerton
authors: Sandra G
authors: SG
authors: Brauer
authors: Andrew G
authors: AG
authors: Cresswell
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors