Influence of a brisk walking program on postural responses in sedentary older women: A randomized trial

Abstract

Background Balance capability and postural control are an important aspect of physical functioning in older people. Objective To analyze the evolution in kinematic and non-linear stabilometric parameters in elderly sedentary women. Trial design Randomised control trial. Subjects and setting: 94 women were randomly selected to participate in a brisk walking program of a duration of six months, presenting a mean score of 5.3 (± 1.7) on the Physical Activity Questionnaire for the elderly and covered 86% of the theoretical distance during the six-minute walking test. Methods Women in the training group participated in a program of 78 sessions over 6 months, with three sessions of 60 minutes per week. On the force platform, participants were assessed with both eyes opened as well as eyes closed during a period of 51.2 seconds and the sampling frequency was 40 Hz. The main dependent kinematic variables were the length, stabilogram surface and the mean position in antero-posterior as well as medio-lateral directions. For the dynamic approach, we have selected the parameters of recurrence quantification analysis, sample entropy and multiscale entropy. Results The kinematic and the time series analysis of group × time interactions demonstrated that six months of walk training lacked influence on kinematic postural responses and on dynamical measurements. The weekly brisk walking program was situated on flat ground and consisted of three 60-minute weekly sessions lasting six months, leading to no significant effect on postural responses. Conclusion In regards to international recommendations, brisk walking is a pertinent exercise. However, in older sedentary women, our study indicated a systemic lack of influence of six months’ walk training on flat ground on kinematic postural responses and on dynamical measures obtained by time series analysis.