Effects of Regular Exercise on Sensory-motor Functions and Fall Risk in the Elderly

Effects of Regular Exercise on Sensory-motor Functions and Fall Risk in the Elderly

Falls in elderly population are an important public health problem. The aim of this study is to examine the vibration, proprioception, muscle strength, static balance, reaction time and postural stability parameters of female individuals aged 65 and over who exercise regularly by comparing them with sedentary female individuals in the same age group and to determine the effect rates of these parameters on fall risk. A total of 92 individuals will evaluate in the study, including 46 participants who perform regular exercise and 46 participants with a sedentary lifestyle. Participants who performs regular exercise will determine among individuals who going to participate in a combined exercise program under the control of a physiotherapist, 2-3 days a week for 8 weeks. The socio-demographic characteristics, health conditions and exercise habits of the participants will be recorded. For evaluating the physical activity levels of the participants, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form (IPAQ-SF); for vibration sense evaluation, 128-Hz frequency tuning fork; for the evaluation of proprioception sense, angle repetition test; for the isometric muscle strength assessment, digital hand dynamometer; for static balance evaluation, standing stork balance test; for reaction time evaluation, MoART measuring device; for postural stability evaluation, PROKIN-PK200W* (Tecnobody, Italy) device and for fall risk assessment, Morse fall scale and MAHC-10 fall questionnaire will be used.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Sedentary individuals with an International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) score of <600 (for control group)
• Individuals who will be participated in an eight-week regular exercise program (for the exercise group)
• Those who scored 24 or higher on the standardized Mini-Mental State Examination, individuals without communication problems, and those who were not bedridden or wheelchair-bound.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who had received any diagnosis/treatment for spinal or lower extremity problems or had undergone surgery within the last six months, as well as those with severe chronic illnesses or uncontrolled conditions (e.g., hypertension, cancer), will be excluded from the study.