Effects of Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill Training on Balance, Mobility and Lower Extremity Strength of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Pilot Study.

AIM

There is growing evidence that confirms the benefits of partially supporting a person's body weight during exercise. Lower body positive pressure (LBPP) unweighting is a new method of providing partial body weight support. This pilot study aims to investigate the effect of LBPP treadmill training on balance, mobility and lower extremity strength in community-dwelling older adults.

SUBJECTS

Five community-dwelling females aged 60-85 years with no neurological conditions or musculoskeletal injuries within the past year.

METHODS

The subjects participated in twice-weekly treadmill training sessions using LBPP at 80% of body weight. They exercised using their self-selected speed and incline for 20 min each session for 8 wks. Pre- and post-test measures included measures of balance, mobility and lower extremity strength.

RESULTS

Average self-selected speed more than doubled from initial to final training session. All subjects exercised within their safe limits, with no unsafe increases in blood pressure or heart rate, and no complaints of extremity pain or muscle soreness throughout the entire training period. Wilcoxon signed ranks test results showed statistically significant improvement in lower extremity strength.

CONCLUSIONS

In a sample of community-dwelling older adult females, an 8-wk regimen of treadmill exercise with LBPP unweighing resulted in improvements in lower extremity strength. The study provides preliminary support for the safe and effective use of LBPP treadmill training in community-dwelling older adults. Improvement in lower extremity strength may have significant implications in maintaining balance and mobility and decreasing fall risk in this population.