Study: Which training best arms older people against falls?

Slippery snow, stairs, uneven terrain: For older people, everyday life is full of fall hazards. What hardly leaves any bruises for young people often has severe consequences for seniors, up to and including reduced mobility. It is well known that physical training can protect older people from falls - the methods investigated so far range from simple body and joint mobilization to complex training programs for specific optimization of body coordination along with balance ability, and improvement of maximum and rapid strength. Sports scientists at the University of Kassel now want to find out which training method is the best. For their study, they are looking for senior citizens aged between 65 and 85 who can come to the Aueparkhalle in Kassel for training twice a week over a period of ten weeks at the beginning of 2014.

The training, which is scheduled to begin in the first weeks of January, will be accompanied by a pre-test with various examination procedures as well as a post-test. According to the results of the pre-test, participants will be divided into groups, with age- and gender-comparable training groups being identified. In addition to strength training on equipment and balance training, the study will also examine a training method in which exercisers lift smaller weights while standing on unstable surfaces. All three training options are known to reduce the risk of falls. However, it is unclear which of the three alternatives has the best effect. It is therefore the aim of the Kassel fall prevention study to find out the differences between the three training variants and, in addition, to determine effects on the perception of dangerous situations in everyday life. The training is purely preventive, and success is measured in established tests that indicate fall risk. Of course, the participants will not perform any falls in the process.

By participating in the Kassel Fall Prevention Study, participants can learn about and actively test training methods to reduce the risk of falls. Participation is voluntary and at the participant's own risk with regard to possible pre-existing conditions, for example in the cardiovascular system. Supervision is provided by trained exercise instructors. The training takes place in the mornings at the Institute for Sport and Sport Science at the University of Kassel in Damaschkestraße 25.

For detailed information of interested seniors, a preliminary meeting will be held on Dec. 16, 2013 at 3 p.m. in the civic hall of Kassel City Hall, Obere Königsstraße 8.

Contact:

Nils Eckardt
University of Kassel
FB 5 - Gesellschaftswissenschaften
Institute for Sports and Sports Science

Tel: 0561 804-5398
E-mail: nilseckardt[at]uni-kassel[dot]de