The effect of eight weeks of Reactive Neuromuscular Training on balance, strength and quality of life of elderly women

Background: Aging is related to a decrease in physiological and functional capacity which can increase disability, decrease balance and fall. The widespread problems in the elderly that occur as a result of the aging process are the loss of balance, increase in vertical fluctuations, and the possibility of falling. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of RNT exercises on balance, strength, and quality of life of elderly women. Method: The statistical population of the present study included ۱۸ elderly women living in Isfahan selected as available sampling and after taking the pre-test, they were randomly divided into two experimental (۹ people) and control (۹ people) groups. The subjects were trained for ۸ weeks and ۳ sessions per week for ۱ hour at Parsia Clinic. The research tools included functional reach test to measure static balance, timed back and forth test to measure dynamic balance, sit-to-stand test to measure lower limb muscle strength, and Lipad quality of life questionnaire. After the end of the training period, both groups were tested again by SPSS software version ۲۴. The results were analyzed using the ANOVA statistical test for repeated measurements to check the research hypotheses.Results: According to the results, eight weeks of dynamic neuromuscular stability exercises significantly improved the static balance and dynamic balance of elderly women(۰۵/۰>p). Also, eight weeks of RNT exercises significantly improved the strength of the lower limb muscles of elderly women and improved the quality of life of elderly women (P<۰.۰۵).Conclusion: The present study showed that eight weeks of RNT exercises can be effective in improving static balance, dynamic balance, lower limb muscle strength and quality of life of elderly women. These factors are among the most important factors related to the health of the elderly. Therefore, RNT exercises can be effective for treatment and rehabilitation and are recommended as an effective method to improve these components in elderly women.