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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Older adults who are trying to improve their balance and mobility may want to try balance training programs instead of tai chi.
A new study from the University of Michigan Health System and the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System finds combined balance and stepping training (CBST) -- a program that focuses on increasing step length and speed -- is better at improving balance and mobility than tai chi.
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Researchers observed 162 adults older than 65. For 10 weeks, the participants had three one-hour sessions a week with an instructor. Half did CBST while the other half did tai chi.
In the CBST classes, participants' activities included moving their upper bodies while bouncing and catching a ball, walking on a plank, and stepping on and off curbs. The tai chi classes focused on things like body alignment, hip and ankle rotations, and standing on one leg.
After 10 weeks the CBST group was 9.4-percent faster in the "timed up and go measure" -- how quickly they rose from sitting in a chair, walked three meters, turned and returned to the seat. They also performed better on other mobility tests.
"What this tells us is that if you want to improve your ability to balance and walk, try a program that focuses on improving balance while moving and the ability to step quickly and further," reports lead author Neil B. Alexander, M.D., from the University of Michigan Health System. "Data from this study can help determine which balance training program may be most optimal to improve balance and eventually reduce falls."
The authors say they would like future research to compare the effects of CBST and tai chi on fall rates to find out which one prevents potentially life-threatening events better.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2006;54:1825-1831
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