The Effect of Nine - Square Exercise on Balance and Lower limb Strength among Elderly

Abstract

Falls are the most common cause of injury in older people. There are multi factors declining of organ system lead to loss of balance and muscle strength. Exercise is one of the important interventions to prevent falls in the elderly. The purpose of this research was to study the effect of nine - square exercise on balance and lower limb strength among the elderly. This is quasi-experimental study. Thirty-four elderly male and female with age of 60 and above were recruited. The participants performed nine square exercise for 40 minutes per day three times a week. Balance and lower extremities strength were evaluated by Timed Up and Go test and Five Times Sit to Stand test, respectively. Both tests were performed before and after eight- week training. The data was analyzed by using Paired t-test. This study demonstrated average scores of Timed Up and Go test and Five Times Sit to Stand test in pre and post nine - square exercise program were statistically significant different (p<0.05). The nine - square exercise is effective in improving balance and muscle strength of the elderly.

Keywords: Balance, Lower extremities muscle strength, Nine - Square Exercise, the Elderly