title: Balance Exercises Circuit improves muscle strength, balance, and functional performance in older women.
abstract: This study introduces the Balance Exercises Circuit (BEC) and examines its effects on muscle strength and power, balance, and functional performance in older women. Thirty-five women aged 60+ (mean age = 69.31, SD = 7.35) were assigned to either a balance exercises group (BG, n = 14) that underwent 50-min sessions twice weekly, of a 12-week BEC program, or a wait-list control group (CG, n = 21). Outcome measures were knee extensor peak torque (PT), rate of force development (RFD), balance, Timed Up & Go (TUG), 30-s chair stand, and 6-min walk tests, assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. Twenty-three participants completed follow-up assessments. Mixed analysis of variance models examined differences in outcomes. The BG displayed improvements in all measures at follow-up and significantly improved compared with CG on, isokinetic PT60, PT180 (p = 0.02), RFD (p < 0.05), balance with eyes closed (p values range .02 to <.01) and TUG (p = 0.03), all with medium effect sizes. No changes in outcome measures were observed in the CG. BEC improved strength, power, balance, and functionality in older women. The BEC warrants further investigation as a fall prevention intervention.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil. brunavelar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bruna Pereira
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Avelar
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Nunes de Almeida
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marisete Peralta
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Safons
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maurílio Tiradentes
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Martim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bottaro
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista - Rio Claro, Rio Claro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sebastião
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Division, The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Falls and Balance Research Group, Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiedemann
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de David
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Moreno
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Aged; Balance; Exercise; Muscle strength; Task performance