Citation

Egerton T, Brauer SG, Cresswell AG. Australas. J. Ageing 2009; 28(2): 93-96.

Affiliation

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia. t.egerton@uq.edu.au

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Australian Council on the Ageing, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1741-6612.2009.00350.x

PMID

19566804

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine if standing balance was affected by moderate levels of physical activity in healthy young, healthy older and balance-impaired older adults. METHODS: Thirty-one healthy young, 33 healthy older and 22 balance-impaired older adults took part. Centre of pressure (COP) motion was measured before and immediately after participants undertook 14 minutes of self-paced, moderate intensity physical activity. RESULTS: All groups responded in a similar manner. Following the physical activity circuit, mediolateral COP displacement and standard deviation of mediolateral COP position increased by 5% and 17%, respectively. Anteroposterior COP displacement and COP standard deviation, and total COP displacement, did not change. All changes were small compared with the magnitude of the group differences. CONCLUSIONS: A small increase in fall risk may exist immediately following physical activity and older people may need to exercise caution following moderate intensity bouts of physical activity to prevent falling.

Language: en