Development of an Inexpensive Harnessing System Allowing Independent Gardening for Balance Training for Mobility Impaired Individuals

Mcpherson Newell,Beth Ekelman,Debbie Espy,Ann Reinthal

doi:10.3390/s21165610

Mcpherson Newell, Beth Ekelman + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/s21165610

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Abstract

Balance is key to independent mobility, and poor balance leads to a risk of falling and subsequent injury that can cause self-restriction of activity for older adults. Balance and mobility can be improved through training programs, but many programs are not intensive or engaging enough to sufficiently improve balance while maintaining adherence. As an alternative to traditional balance training, harnessed gardening sessions were conducted in an urban greenhouse as an example of a community activity through which balance and mobility can be trained and/or maintained. An inexpensive multidirectional harness system was developed that can be used as an assistive or rehabilitative device in community, private, and senior center gardens to allow balance or mobility-impaired adults to participate in programming. Two wearable sensor systems were used to measure responses to the system: the Polhemus G4 system measured gardeners’ positions and center of mass relative to the base of support, and ActiGraph activity monitors measured the frequency and intensity of arm movements in garden as compared to home environments. The harnessed gardening system provides a safe environment for intense movement activity and can be used as a rehabilitation device along with wearable sensor systems to monitor ongoing changes.

Highlights

Independent mobility is key to participating in numerous life activities [1] and adequate balance is a requirement for mobility [1]
Typical training programs involve proactive, or self-initiated, movement practice, which is often not completed at an intense enough dosage to elicit a change [7,8] and does not train reactive responsiveness to unexpected falls [9]
The project was approved by the Cleveland State University Institutional Review Board (IRB-FY2018-71)

Summary

Introduction

Independent mobility is key to participating in numerous life activities [1] and adequate balance is a requirement for mobility [1]. Community and individualized mobility and balance training programs are frequently used to break this cycle. Many balance-impaired individuals do not complete effective interventions [6]. Typical training programs involve proactive, or self-initiated, movement practice, which is often not completed at an intense enough dosage to elicit a change [7,8] and does not train reactive responsiveness to unexpected falls [9]. Another explanation is that training requires substantial amounts of practice which must be maintained over time by continued practice [10]. Clinic-based activities may not be similar enough to real life, lacking the necessary task and environmental complexity to generalize outside of the clinic [11]

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