Exercise can help reduce the risk of falls – a significant reason for Injuries in older adults – But only Four percent of older Canadian women complete at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity. As a PhD candidate in Health and Exercise Science at Concordia University, I’m taken with developing a fun and accessible balance training program using online dance classes.
Dance can function entertainment.”Exercise in disguise. Studies have consistently shown that dancing can Affect social interactions, improve mood and aid cognitionwhile i also results in improvement Mobility, endurance and walking abilities.
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It can be a really perfect type of balance training as different dance steps should be learned Regarding the high precision of the movement, which can help to increase our ownership (Our perception of our body's movement and position in space). This will help improve or maintain our postural stability.
Age and postural stability
Postural stability Refers to our ability to remain upright and control our body's position in space. This ability relies on sensory and motor systems. Our vision helps us spot potential obstacles or tripping hazards Vestibular system The inner ear assists us in our orientation in addition to in hearing, and at last Somatosensory systemwhich incorporates the body's sense of touch, pain, temperature, and position, serves to sense the surfaces beneath our feet.
After these sensory signals reach the brain, they’re processed after which the suitable motor response is chosen to execute our muscular system.
With age, postural stability decreases because the experience of the sensory system changes. We measure this decline by having people stand increasingly and seeing how much they move or strain. If someone sheds more, they’re considered less stable and more vulnerable to falls.
While research on in-person dance classes of assorted styles has consistently shown improvement Postural stability and fall riskthese classes are sometimes inaccessible. Many older women face barriers to exercise comparable to: Lack of transportation, caregiver roles at home, inaccessible exercise facilities, etc. Additionally, specialized dance teachers are sometimes found only in large cities that function dance centers. Online dance classes may offer solutions to cut back barriers and improve access for older adults.
Bringing the dance studio home
Working with Andreas Bergdahl, PhD, and Miriam Roberts, PhD, our research was published in Online dance classes have been found to enhance postural stability, dynamic balance and calf strength in older women. In this work, we recruited women aged 65+ from Montreal to take part in 75-min ballet-modern-inspired classes twice per week, over Zoom, for 12 weeks.
Each dance class begins with a 15-minute warm-up followed by:
- pliés (bend the knees)
- Tends (standing on one leg and increasing the opposite)
- Balance Continuity (a traveling step for a waltz rhythm)
- Jose Lemon/Martha Graham Continuity (modern dance styles that emphasize spinal recovery and rounded forms)
- Cool down with seated segments
These exercises were chosen because they emphasize weight transfer, balancing on one leg, bringing the body off center, and contracting the leg in addition to the core muscles. A helper was on Zoom for every dance class to watch participants online for technical support and safety.
Before the firstclass, halfway through the study, and at the tip, participants accomplished in-person assessments of their leg strength, dynamic balance, and postural stability.
Within six weeks, the participants showed a discount in how much they sway while standing (called the mediolateral sway) in addition to side-to-side sway and a rise of their dynamic balance. By the tip of this system, in addition they had greater calf muscle strength, measured because the variety of heel raises participants accomplished in 30 seconds.
Improvements in these abilities can translate more easily into every day activities that require weight transfer, comparable to walking, stepping down the sidewalk and even tasks comparable to sweeping the home.
Advantages of online access
Even after the Covid-19 lockdown ends, online dance classes can play a crucial role in reaching out to individuals who have traditionally been unnoticed.
For those living in distant locations, caregivers who can't afford to go to family members, and even older adults anxious to walk icy roads within the winter, online programs can provide a level of accessibility and latest opportunities for socializing and exercise. They also provide opportunities for people to specific themselves creatively from the comfort of their homes.
Our current study explores how different forms of online dance programs interact Blood flow restriction trainingmay profit older adults. It provides more options in response to people's interests and different mobility needs. Additionally, we’re working to share our program with communities. To date, our research has reached older women in Canada, Mexico, Colombia and Spain, encouraging them to be energetic and independent.
While lots of us have returned to in-person programming, let's not forget the advantages of online access. Bringing a dance studio home can still help people connect, socialize and improve their balance.