title: Changes in gait and balance parameters in elderly subjects attending an 8-week supervised Pilates programme.
abstract: Falls in the elderly have important clinical and economic costs and interventions that may reduce the risk of such problems are potentially important. Although evidence exists for a range of exercise interventions, few have looked at a Pilates-based intervention in a supervised community-based setting and none have specifically measured gait parameters as an outcome. This observational study investigated gait parameters including inter-stride variability (ISV) and postural sway in a group (n = 9) of elderly (age range, 60-76) subjects attending a weekly Pilates class over eight weeks. The results suggest that significant improvement in walking speed (0.14 m/s (95% CI: 0.06-0.21)), step cycle (0.07 m (95% CI: 0.01-0.14)) and length (0.10 m (95% CI: 0.05-0.15)) and a composite ambulation index (6.5% (95% CI: 1.85-11.26)) were seen post the intervention, while coefficients of variation decreased around 15%. In addition both anterior-posterior sway decreased along with a improvement in a fall risk index (FRI). Inter-stride variability on the other hand did not change. The results of this study suggest that a short Pilates program may have the potential to improve gait and sway parameters, including those associated with fall risk.
authors.affiliation: Anglo European College of Chiropractic, 14-15 Parkwood Rd, Bournemouth BH5 2DF, UK. dnewell@aecc.ac.uk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Newell
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shead
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sloane
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D026241:Exercise Movement Techniques; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires