Effects of Simultaneous Balance and Resistance Training in Older Adults

Aging results in a gradual decline of physical abilities and consequently in functional impairments which increases the risk of falls in elderly people. It has been shown, that balance and resistance training can counteract the effects of aging. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of instability resistance training (IRT), combining balance and resistance training, on measures of muscle strength / power and balance for falls in healthy community-dwelling older adults. Therefore 75 elderly people, aged 65 - 80 years (Mage = 70.4; SD = 4.3 years) were assigned into three intervention groups: machine-based (M-RT), machine-based instability (M-IRT), free weight instability resistance training (F-IRT). All three groups exercised over 10-weeks with two training sessions per week. Assessment of muscle strength (e.g. maximal isometric leg extension strength), power (e.g. chair rise test) and balance (e.g. gait, functional reach test) was conducted before and after training. Based on the principle of training specificity, it is assumed, that groups to improve better within their respective training modality. Thus, the investigators hypothesis that regarding measures of strength and power, M-RT performs better than M-IRT, performs better than F-IRT. As to measures of balance, we hypothesis that F-IRT performs better that M-IRT, performs better than M-RT.