Effect of 12-week Exercise Programs for Posture Correction on Standing Postural Alignment in Elderly Women

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of different 12-week exercise programs for posture correction on postural alignment in elderly women. Method: The study included 36 elderly women who were randomly divided into 3 groups: Group A (core exercise, n=12), Group B (combined exercise, n=12), and Group C (Pilates exercise, n=12). Postural alignment was measured using 6 variables in frontal and sagittal planes. Two-way mixed analysis of variance was used to compare the effect of exercise program types on postural alignment and a paired t-test was used to compare differences in postural alignment after exercise. Results: The core exercise group showed statistically significant improvement (p<.05) in multiple upper and lower body postural alignment measurements. The combined exercise and Pilates exercise groups showed statistically significant improvement (p<.05) in upper body measurements alone. Conclusion: Core exercise, combined exercise, and Pilates exercise improved postural alignment in elderly woman through improvement in muscle strength and ligament flexibility around the spine and pelvis.