task constraints

Walking is a fundamental motor skill critical for maintaining independence and preventing falls among elderly adults. With advancing age, physiological and psychological changes—such as increased reaction time, reduced balance, diminished neuromuscular coordination, decreased muscle strength, and impaired postural control—often lead to altered gait patterns. These changes, which are not necessarily disease-related, result from a combination of physiological decline, environmental factors, and lifestyle choices, ultimately reducing physical fitness in the elderly. Declining physical fitness can disrupt mobility and increase fall risk, a major concern for this population. Walking, as a primary component of daily movement, is often affected by these age-related changes, making it a key indicator of functional independence in older adults. 

Identifying factors influencing gait and developing effective interventions to mitigate age-related declines in walking performance have become important research areas. Previous studies have demonstrated that various training methods can positively influence gait patterns, including improvements in walking speed and related parameters. However, the role of environmental and task constraints in modifying gait parameters and reducing fear of falling remains poorly understood. While some research has explored task constraints manipulation, its specific effects on spatiotemporal gait parameters in elderly adults have not been thoroughly investigated.This semi-experimental study included 30 healthy elderly men aged 59–80 years, randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Sample size was determined using G*Power software with an effect size of 0.9. Inclusion criteria included the ability to walk independently, normal or corrected-to-normal vision, capacity to follow simple instructions, and a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score above 24 to exclude cognitive impairment. Exclusion criteria included history of injuries limiting movement, medical conditions or medications affecting balance and mobility, and missing more than two consecutive training sessions.The intervention group participated in an 8-week training program (three sessions per week) involving task constraints manipulation, while the control group maintained normal daily activities. The intervention aimed to limit movement in all three dimensions at varying speeds, challenging participants to adapt their gait patterns. An experienced staff member supervised the program to ensure proper engagement. Gait parameters—including stride length (cm), cadence (steps/min), gait velocity (km/h), and variability of velocity (%)—were measured using the FDM gait analysis system (Zebris, Germany). Cognitive status was assessed using the Persian version of the MMSE. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. The Shapiro-Wilk test assessed normality, Levene’s test evaluated homogeneity of variances, and one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) compared pre- and post-test results between groups, with significance set at p < 0.05. 

ANCOVA results revealed significant improvements in the intervention group for several spatiotemporal gait parameters, including stride length (p < 0.05), cadence (p < 0.05), gait velocity (p < 0.05), and variability of velocity (p < 0.05). No significant change was observed in stride time (p = 0.07). These findings suggest that task constraints manipulation can effectively enhance gait performance in elderly adults by promoting adaptive movement strategies and improving motor control. 

This study indicates that task constraints manipulation positively influences spatiotemporal gait parameters in elderly adults, potentially reducing fall risk and improving functional mobility. By creating training conditions that challenge participants to adapt their movement patterns, the intervention may enhance the performance of both peripheral and central systems involved in gait control. Improvements in stride length, cadence, and gait velocity suggest that task constraints manipulation facilitates the development of more efficient and stable walking patterns. These results align with previous research demonstrating the benefits of task-specific training in improving motor performance in older adults. The lack of significant change in stride time may indicate that this parameter is less sensitive to task constraints or may require a longer intervention period for measurable improvements.In conclusion, task constraints manipulation is an effective intervention for improving gait performance in elderly adults. By promoting adaptive movement strategies and enhancing motor control, this approach may contribute to reducing fall risk and improving daily functional mobility. Future research should explore long-term effects and applicability to other populations, such as those with neurological or musculoskeletal impairments.

Based on the findings of this study, training methods utilizing task constraints manipulation appear to be an effective approach for improving and facilitating daily activities, such as walking, in the elderly population. Implementing such methods in elderly training programs can enhance functional abilities and contribute to better overall mobility and quality of life.

falling and losing balance is one the most Important problem in elderly. Exercise interventions are one the best approach to resolve this problem. Task constraints manipulation is one this approach seems it can improve balance indexes in elderly population. So the aim of current study is to investigate effect of task constraints manipulation on balance indexes of healthy elderly adults Thirty elderly people were selected to participate in the research, and they were randomly divided into control and intervention groups. The intervention group participated in task constraints manipulation exercises for 8 weeks (3 times per week), while the control group lived without any interventions. The balance indexes were evaluated using the Biodex system. The results showed task constraints manipulation exercises improve the balance indexes in intervention group. The result of ANCOVA test revealed a significant improvement in the scores of postural control and balance (P<0.05). The results of this research confirm the effect of task constraints manipulation exercises on improving balance indexes in the elderly. Balance improvement finally can lead to reduce the fall risk in elder population.

Fear of falling in the elderly is one of the main concerns in this population. This condition causes negative outcomes including reduced daily productivity, reduced physical activities, and lower quality of life. Manipulating task constraints is one of the methods that seems to be effective in improving balance indicators and fear of falling in the elderly. Therefore, the current research intends to investigate the effect of manipulation of task constraints on the level of fear of falling and balance indicators of healthy elderly people. For this purpose, 30 healthy elderly were randomly selected and divided into two intervention and control groups. The intervention group carried out exercises to manipulate task constraints for 8 weeks and 3 times a week. The control group also continued their normal activities during the research period. The fear of falling was evaluated by the efficiency of falling questionnaire and the balance indicators using the standing and walking test. The results of the research showed that the application of the exercise protocol for manipulating task constraints reduced the fear of falling and improved balance indicators in the intervention group. The results of the analysis of covariance by removing the pre-test effect showed that both variables in the intervention group had a significant improvement compared to the control group (P<0.05). The results of this research show the effect of exercises with the manipulation of task constraints on reducing the fear of falling and improving the balance of the elderly.

The purpose study was to investigate the effect of manipulating task constraints in Small-sided game (SSG) on team interactions and the technical performance of players in a competitive football game. In a quasi-experimental strategy with repeated measures, 24 amateur players of football aged 11-17 were divided into two groups of 12 people. In training sessions, the first group played with equal number of players and the second group played with the unequal number of players on a field dimensions (20×30) The SSG training period consisted of 4 intervention sessions per week for three weeks (12 sessions in total). There was also a competitive game at the end of each week in which the performance of the players in the competitive games 7 Vs 7 was analyzed. The results of team network analysis showed that the group with unequal player training in games had a higher average team Density than the group with equal player training. The lowest value of Eigenvector centrality belonged to the training group with unequal numbers, and in the total link index, they had the highest number of passes in all games. The results showed that there was a significant difference between post-test and pre-test successful pass (p =0.001), dribble (p = 0.010), and goal shooting (p = 0.05). These results show that SSG games play an important role in promoting team interactions and technical performance of football players and that a variety of task constraints can be used to transfer collective and technical skills to football.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of task constraints manipulation on learning of skills and strategies of basketball by nonlinear pedagogy (Teaching Games for Understanding). The statistical population of the study was Urmia secondary school girl students. Subjects were 40 students (each group= 20 people) who did not already have a history of basketball playing and were physically health with an average age of 13.06±3. AAHPERD basketball skills test and game performance assessment instrument was used to collect data. The manipulation of the constraints included changes in the playing location, ball size, loop height, and change in the rules of the game. The results showed that training skills and strategies of basketball were effective and the subjects learned more after training. Also, the effect of basketball training by constraints manipulation of TGFU and TGFU without constraints manipulation was different that represents confirmation of the positive role of task constraints manipulation at the level of p