Effects of Aquatic on Balance and Preventing of Fall among Healthy Elderly Men

Falling in the elderly is a serious problem that results in bone fracture and loss of Activities of daily living due to fear of falling. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine effects of Aquatic on balance and preventing of falls among healthy elderly men. This was a quasi-experimental before/after study without a control group. 22 elderly men with an average age of 64.31±2.87 years volunteered. Functional tests of Berg Balance Scale (BBS) for static balance, and Timed Up & Go (TUG) for dynamic balance and Chair Stand Test (CST) for lower extremity strength were measured in pre and post-test. The exercise protocol included a combination of resistance training, stretching and balance exercises that were followed up for 10 weeks, with three sessions per week. At all stages of the research, Ethical considerations (optional, confidentiality of results, harmlessness of the training program, etc.) were carried out. Paired t-test was used at a significant level of 0.05. The results of paired t-test showed that 10 weeks exercise in water improves static balance, dynamic balance and muscle strength (P≤0.05) and decreases the risk of falling in the elderly (P≤0.01). According to the results of this study, it seems that the exercise program in water improves balance and muscle strength as the most important indicator for preventing the risk of falling of the elderly. And it is suggested that due to good water benefits for Elderly, water resistance exercises will be on the agenda in trainers, experts and activists in the field.