Abstract
AbstractNormal aging processes result in losses of functional flexibility and muscular strength, which increase seniors’ fall risk and dependence on others. A relatively new intervention to reduce and/or reverse the adverse effects of aging is whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise. The purpose of this article is to review the established effects of WBV exercise exclusively with the aging population. A systematic search utilizing PubMed and Sport Discus databases uncovered journal articles specific to seniors and whole-body vibration. An extensive hand search supplemented the database results to find other relevant articles. Twenty-seven articles were obtained; all articles have been published in the past 8 years, reflecting the recent and growing interest in this area. Researchers have determined that WBV training can reduce fall risk and improve postural control in seniors. It has also been determined that WBV training can be as effective as conventional resistance training to improve seniors’ lower body strength. However, little is known about the effect of WBV exercise on flexibility and upper body strength in the aging population. More research is required to establish how effective WBV training is on these specific components and how it may affect seniors’ quality of life.
Highlights
Over the last century, life expectancy has increased dramatically to the point that individuals in developed nations can expect toC
While other review articles have included WBVand aging as part of a larger context, this paper focuses solely and exclusively on wholebody vibration (WBV) as it applies to the older population
No additional benefit of WBV training detected on fall risk and postural control
Summary
Life expectancy has increased dramatically to the point that individuals in developed nations can expect to. The overall score of the Tinetti Test increased by 5.6±3.7 points in the WBV experimental group vs the physical therapy only group, which decreased 0.1±1.3 points after 6 weeks This suggests that combining WBV exercise with physical therapy is more effective at improving gait and balance as measured by the Tinetti Test than physical therapy alone and, may reduce nursing home residents’ risk of falling [8]. Kawanabe and colleagues [23] found that after 2 months of training, WBV in addition to routine exercise (walking, balance training, and muscle strengthening) significantly improved maximum standing time on one leg. To determine if WBV improved seniors’ muscular power, Russo and colleagues [42] recruited 29 postmenopausal women who were randomly assigned to a WBV group or
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