It is also possible that PRT alone is not a robust intervention for balance control .
This is the first systematic synthesis of the literature to examine the effectiveness of PRT alone on balance performance in older adults .
The limited evidence presented in currently published data has not consistently shown that the use of PRT in isolation improves balance in this population .
The serious health , social and economic consequences of falls are well documented .
Lower extremity muscle weakness and power as well as balance impairment are major independent intrinsic contributors to falls and amenable to intervention .
Progressive resistance training ( PRT ) is widely accepted as an appropriate modality for treating sarcopenia and has been reported to improve balance .
However , other studies affirm no significant effect of PRT on balance .
To date , there is no clear , definitive statement or synthesis of studies that has examined the effect of PRT on balance .
Therefore , our objective was to systematic ally review the literature to probe the merit of PRT as a single intervention on balance performance in older adults .
The effect of a 12-month exercise trial on balance, strength, and falls in older women: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE To determine whether a 12-month program of regular exercise can improve balance , reaction time , neuromuscular control , and muscle strength and reduce the rate of falling in older women . DESIGN A r and omized , controlled trial of 12 months duration . SETTING Conducted as part of the R and wick Falls and Fractures Study in Sydney , Australia . PARTICIPANTS One hundred ninety-seven women aged 60 to 85 years ( mean age 71.6 , SD = 5.4 ) who were r and omly recruited from the community . OUTCOME MEASURES Accidental falls , postural sway , reaction time , neuromuscular control , and lower limb muscle strength . MAIN RESULTS Exercise and control subjects were tested before , midway through , and at the end of the trial . At initial testing , exercisers and controls performed similarly in all tests and were well matched in relevant health and lifestyle factors . The mean number of classes attended for the 75 exercise subjects who completed the program was 60.0 ( range 26 - 82 ) . At the end of the trial , the exercise subjects showed improved performance in all five strength measures , in reaction time , neuromuscular control , body sway on a firm surface with the eyes open , and body sway on a compliant surface with the eyes open and closed . In contrast , there were no significant improvements in any of the test measures in the controls . In one test measure , hip flexion strength , the exercisers showed continued improvement throughout the study year . There was no significant difference in the proportion of fallers between the exercise and control subjects . Interesting trends were evident , however , between falls frequency and adherence to the exercise program . CONCLUSIONS These findings show that exercise can produce long-term benefits with regard to improving sensorimotor function in older persons . The findings also suggest that high compliance to an exercise program may reduce falls frequency , although further studies are required to conclusively demonstrate that exercise offers an effective means of preventing falls
It is also possible that PRT alone is not a robust intervention for balance control .
This is the first systematic synthesis of the literature to examine the effectiveness of PRT alone on balance performance in older adults .
The limited evidence presented in currently published data has not consistently shown that the use of PRT in isolation improves balance in this population .
The serious health , social and economic consequences of falls are well documented .
Lower extremity muscle weakness and power as well as balance impairment are major independent intrinsic contributors to falls and amenable to intervention .
Progressive resistance training ( PRT ) is widely accepted as an appropriate modality for treating sarcopenia and has been reported to improve balance .
However , other studies affirm no significant effect of PRT on balance .
To date , there is no clear , definitive statement or synthesis of studies that has examined the effect of PRT on balance .
Therefore , our objective was to systematic ally review the literature to probe the merit of PRT as a single intervention on balance performance in older adults .