Prática habitual de atividade física afeta o equilíbrio de idosas?

Effect of the Mat Pilates method on postural balance and thoracic hyperkyphosis among elderly women: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the influence of the Mat Pilates method on thoracic hyperkyphosis and postural balance among elderly women. Method: A randomized longitudinal study was performed involving 31 elderly women who were divided into two groups: the Control Group (n=17) and the Pilates Group (n=14). The Pilates Group underwent training while the Control Group attended lectures. Evaluation consisted of specific balance (one-leg right and left) and thoracic kyphosis (computed biophotogrammetry) tests. The subjects were reassessed at the end of eight weeks. Data was analyzed by the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality, and the paired Student's t, the unpaired Student's t, the Wilcoxon, and the Mann-Whitney statistical tests, with a significance level of 5% (p<0.05). Results: The Pilates group maintained balance levels (p>0.05) and had a mean thoracic kyphosis reduction of 6 degrees (p<0.001). There was no significant difference (p>0.005) in any of the variables in the Control Group. Conclusion: The present study found that the Mat Pilates method contributed to a reduction in thoracic kyphosis and the maintenance of balance in the elderly women investigated. REBEC: RBR-6jd8nq

Comparison of static balance of elderly women through two methods: computerized photogrammetry and accelerometer

Introduction The aging process produces functional and structural deficits in the body, among these changes we highlight the changes in balance. Objective This study aims to compare the computed photogrammetry and accelerometer to assess static balance in the elderly. Methods This was an observational, cross-sectional study. The study included 112 female subjects participating in a mothers club, where the balance assessment was performed using computerized photogrammetry and accelerometer. Results Average age 70.3 ± 5.8 [60-79] years, with the majority of the sample (47.3%) consisted of elderly widows, followed by 41.1% of married elderly. Most of the sample (73.2%) reported not working, eighty-six percent of the sample reported not having suffered falls in the last year. The vast majority of elderly studied (93.8%) reported not having suffered fracture episode and 6.3% reported having suffered fracture episode in the last three months, 75% of the sample owned anteriorization trunk, 63% had previous oscillation trunk and 37% had subsequent oscillation. Conclusion There were significant direct and a moderate to good between the measurements obtained in photogrammetry and triaxial accelerometer correlations.

Fear of falling and activity restriction{ in older adults from the urban community of Londrina: a cross-sectional study

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the fear of falling and restriction of activities in the elderly of the city of Londrina (PR). Materials and method A cross-sectional study was conducted with individuals over 60 years old of both sexes. They were interviewed at their home with the Falls Efficacy Scale International - Brazil the Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly a socio-demographic and health perception questionnaire. Results The participants were 38 elderly people (mean age 71.6 ± 6.1 years) with a prevalence of women (68.4%). The occurrence of a fall in the last year was reported by 44.7% of the elderly, and the prevalence of the fear of falling again by 56.3%. In the evaluation of the Falls Efficacy Scale, 97.4% of participants reported fear of falling in at least one of the activities while 55.3% had score ≥ 23 points showing high risk for falls. Fifty two percent of the elders restricted their activity due the fear of falling. Conclusion These results show a high frequency of fear of falling associated with restriction of activities and individuals with a high risk potential for falls. The evaluation of this data contributes to establishing indicators and development of preventive strategies and specific interventions for the elderly with fear of falling.