One major cause of health concerns in older adults is the rapid increase of fall incidents. Previous literature suggested that physical exercise is one of the most effective interventional strategies to reduce the risk of falling in older adults. This study examines the efficacy of the simplified Pilates exercise programme developed by a group of Pilates and rehabilitation experts in Hong Kong to reduce the risk of falling of Hong Kong’s older adults who might be prone to falling through a wait-list randomised controlled trial. Thirty-eight older adults (mean age=74.8±5.9) were included in this interim analysis, and they were randomly assigned to either the simplified Pilates exercise group (SPEG; n=11) or the wait-list control group (WLCG; n=27). Participants in the SPEG participated in group exercise sessions (about 60 minutes each) twice a week for 12 weeks. Two assessment sessions before training at baseline (T0) and just after the completion of all the exercise sessions (T1) were completed. The primary outcome measure of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was evaluated in this interim analysis. A 2 x 2 Group (SPEG, WLCG) x Time (T0, T1) mixed Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for the primary outcome measure was conducted. There is a main effect of Group x Time interaction (F(1,36)=11.298, p=0.002, ηp2=0.239). The SPEG improved their BBS scores significantly more than the WLCG from T0 to T1. This result suggests that the simplified Pilates exercise programme could reduce the risk of falling in older adults at risk of falling.

Authors:
Wai Lung Thomson Wong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Toby C. T. Mak, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Candy W. Y. Chan, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Polly P. Y. Chan, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Shamay S. M. Ng, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Wai Lung, Thomson Wong is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in China

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