BALANCE IMPROVING IN FEMALE SENIORS 65+ AFTER COMPLETING SHORT TERM INTERVENTION PROGRAM BASED ON YOGA EXERCISES

Abstract

Aim. The study is aimed to analyze the interplay among the static, dynamic and overall physical balance score with anthropometric determinants and psychosocial indices in relation to effects of the yoga intervention. Materials and Methods. The participants comprised 266 female seniors in age 65+ (mean: 76.9 SD ± 7.23), divided in experimental and control groups, participating voluntarily in the research procedure. For data collection diagnostic methods “Medical anamnesis”, “Tinetti Balance Assessment Tool”, “Health Survey SF-36” were applied. For statistics multivariate regression with reduction of dimensionality and orthogonal projection to latent structure and repeated ANOVA were used. Results. Before intervention the correlation analysis
“Orthogonal projections to latent structures” proved that anthropometric predictors had a significantly positive impact on balance abilities in monitored female seniors, p < 0.01: Body height, Body weight, Length of the tibia; Length of the femur, Length of the ulna radialis, Girth of chest across mesosternale, Girth of the knee, Girth of the wrist. After the intervention significant improvement in static, dynamic and overall balance score in the experimental group was found. Conclusions. Optimal musculoskeletal robustness represents a positive predictor for the static, dynamic and overall balance. Completion of the yoga four-week intervention had significantly positively influence the results of the static, dynamic and overall balance in female seniors.