BALANCE AND STRENGTH TRAINING IN OLDER ADULTS - INTERVENTION GAINS AND TAI-CHI MAINTENANCE

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect on balance and strength of 3 months of intensive balance and/or weight training followed by 6 months of l ow intensity Tai Chi training for maintenance of gains. DESIGN: Random ized control intervention. Four groups in 2 x 2 design: Control, Balan ce, Strength, Balance + Strength, using blinded testers. SETTING: Exer cise and balance laboratory at University of Connecticut Health Center . PARTICIPANTS: Subjects were 110 healthy community dwellers (mean age 80) who were free of dementia, neurological disease, and serious card iovascular or musculoskeletal conditions. INTERVENTIONS: Short-term tr aining (3 months) occurred 3 times/week (45 minutes Balance and Streng th, 90 minutes Balance + Strength). Balance training included equilibr ium control exercises on firm and foam surfaces and center-of-pressure biofeedback. Strengthening consisted of lower extremity weight-liftin g All subjects then received long-term group Tai Chi instruction (6 mo nths, 1 hour, 1 time/week). MEASUREMENTS: Losses of balance during Sen sory Organization Testing (LOB), single stance time (SST), voluntary l imits of stability (FBOS), summed isokinetic torque of eight lower ext remity movements (ISOK), and usual gait velocity (GVU). RESULTS AND CO NCLUSIONS: Balance training meaningfully improved all balance measures by restoring performance to a level analogous to an individual 3 to 1 0 years younger: LOB = -2.0 +/- 0.3 (adjusted paired differences, P < .005 ANOVA); SST = 7.0 +/- 1.2 sec; and FBOS = 9.0 +/- 2.0% of foot le ngth (P < .05). Strengthening increased ISOK by 1.1 +/- 0.1 Nm kg(-1) (P < .005). There was no interaction between balance and strength trai ning. Significant gains persisted after 6 months of Tai Chi, although there was some decrement.