A Comparison between Land-based and Water-based Balance Training Exercise Program in Improvement of Balance in Community Dwelling Elderly Population

Background and Purpose: Specific balance training exercise program have been shown to play an important role in the improvement of balance and function. Water has been identified as a low risk, safe and supportive medium to perform these exercises. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether water acts as a better medium than land for training balance exercises in community dwelling elderly population.

Study Design: A pre-post experimental design was used in this study. Subjects: 60 community dwelling elderly adults (≥60 years of age) participated in the study.

subjects were randomly allocated to one of the two groups: Group 1 (n=30) was administered with the balance exercises on land&Group 2 (n=30) was administered with the balance exercises in an indoor pool.

Methods: The balance performance of the subjects was evaluated on the Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go Test. Each group performed a comparable program of balance training exercises which was divided into a warm-up period, a conditioning period and a cool-down period. Results: Both the land-based and water-based exercise groups were benefited from the balance training exercise program with a significant improvement in post-intervention balance scores on Berg balance scale and Timed up and go test as compared to their pre-intervention scores. However, on comparison between the two groups, there was no statistically significant difference between post-intervention scores of Berg balance scale and Timed up and go test.

Conclusion and Discussion: Regardless of the exercise medium, significant improvement in the balance scores was achieved by the subjects in both the groups following the balance training exercise program. Thus, concluding that balance training exercise program in either medium may be equally effective in improving balance in the elderly population.