THE EFFECT OF BALL EXERCISE ON PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS IN THE ELDERLY WOMEN

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Ball Exercise on physical functions related to fall prevention among community-dwelling elderly. Nineteen healthy elderly women voluntarily participated in a Ball Exercise course that consiste of 60-min classes once a week for three months. We assessed their physical functions at baseline and then again after the Ball Exercise course. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) were observed in one leg standing without vision (+7.2 s), functional reach (+14.4%), trunk flexibility test (+7.1%), maximum walking speed (+17%), and the isometric muscle strength of the knee and ankle joints (+9.8 similar to 35.7%), but no changes were observed in grasping power. This study suggested that Ball Exercise might be a suitable fall prevention and health promoting exercise for elderly people. We therefore concluded that ensuring a high level of physical functions is important to prevent falls and maintain a high quality of life for elderly people.