The effect of adding exergame boxing to balance functions of elderly women

Abstract

Background: The average incidence of falls in elderly women exceeds that of elderly men in all age groups. Exercise had a consistent effect on reducing the risk of falls when prescribed correctly and was successful in reducing fall rates in the community, with an even greater effect seen in a balance-challenging exercise program. The exercise in question is a series of combined activities that maintain or increase flexibility, endurance, strength and balance. Compared to traditional sports, sports games are more interesting and challenging, are not affected by the weather, and being able to practice at home increases safety and comfort. Exergame boxing is considered a fun and competitive fighting video game, so it has an effect on psychological and social interactions in the elderly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding exergame boxing on the balance function of elderly women. Methods: This study is a true experimental research with pre and post-test randomized control group design. The research participants were 32 elderly women, with each group consisting of 16 elderly women. Participants in the treatment group received exergame boxing, which was carried out 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Participants in both groups are required to take part in conventional exercises programmed by Nursing Home 5x/week for ±15 minutes. The outputs were assessed at the beginning (initial value) and after 8 weeks of intervention (final value). Results: There were significantly significant differences in the One Leg Stance (OLS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) values in the control and treatment group (p<0.005), but the effect size was higher in the treatment group. Conclusions: The addition of exercise boxing for 8 weeks can improve the static and dynamic balance function of elderly women as measured by OLS and TUG.