Article

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether fear of falling (FoF) and balance improved after
a 12-week yoga intervention among older adults. DESIGN: A 12-week yoga
intervention single-armed pilot study. SETTING: A retirement community in a
medium-sized university town in the Midwest. PARTICIPANTS:
A convenience sample
of adults (N=14) over the age of 65 years who all endorsed an FoF. INTERVENTION:
Each participant took part in a biweekly 12-week yoga intervention. The yoga
sessions included both physical postures and breathing exercises. Postures were
completed in sitting and standing positions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured
FoF with the Illinois FoF Measure and balance with the Berg Balance Scale. Upper-
and lower-body flexibility were measured with the back scratch test and chair sit
and reach test, respectively. RESULTS: FoF decreased by 6%, static balance
increased by 4% (P=.045), and lower-body flexibility increased by 34%.
CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that yoga may be a promising intervention to
manage FoF and improve balance, thereby reducing fall risk for older adults.
Rehabilitation therapists may wish to explore yoga as a modality for balance and
falls programming; however, future research is needed to confirm the use of yoga
in such programming.
CI - Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS