Effect of a 12-week yoga intervention on fear of falling and balance in older adults: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether fear of falling (FoF) and balance improved after a 12-week yoga intervention among older adults.

DESIGN

A 12-week yoga intervention single-armed pilot study.

SETTING

A retirement community in a medium-sized university town in the Midwest.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of adults (N=14) over the age of 65 years who all endorsed an FoF.

INTERVENTION: Each participant took part in a biweekly 12-week yoga intervention. The yoga sessions included both physical postures and breathing exercises. Postures were completed in sitting and standing positions.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured FoF with the Illinois FoF Measure and balance with the Berg Balance Scale. Upper- and lower-body flexibility were measured with the back scratch test and chair sit and reach test, respectively.

RESULTS

FoF decreased by 6%, static balance increased by 4% (P=.045), and lower-body flexibility increased by 34%.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that yoga may be a promising intervention to manage FoF and improve balance, thereby reducing fall risk for older adults. Rehabilitation therapists may wish to explore yoga as a modality for balance and falls programming; however, future research is needed to confirm the use of yoga in such programming.