The goal of this quasi-experimental study using a pre and post test design is to learn about the effect of participating in an exercise program with hydraulic exercise equipment on fall risk in the older adult population. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the use of hydraulic exercise equipment decrease fall risk in older adults? * Does the use of hydraulic exercise equipment improve function in older adults? Participants will be evaluated pre and post intervention for strength, fall risk using Berg Balance Scale, Tinetti Balance and Gait Assessment, Timed Up and Go, and functional ability using the Lower Extremity Functional Scale. Participants will engage in an exercise program using 5 different pieces of hydraulic exercise equipment (Frei FACTUM® novus II line) 2x/week for for 6 weeks for 30-45 minutes each session. The equipment uses concentric movements only and works agonist and antagonist muscles with each machine (IE: push and pull, both concentric).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
Concentric strengthening of multiple muscle groups 2x/week for 6 weeks.
Bay Ridge Center
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Berg Balance Scale
Objective functional outcome measure that assesses fall risk. Participants will move through 14 different tasks and will be assessed on their performance on a 0-4 scale. The higher the number given for a task, the better the participant's balance. The highest possible score is 56, which indicates low fall risk. The lower the score, the higher the fall risk. Minimal detectable change ranges from 5-7 depending on the diagnosis of the patient.
Time frame: 1 week prior to intervention start date (pre-test) and 1 week post intervention end date (post-test)
Timed Up and Go
Objective functional outcome measure that assesses fall risk. Participants will start seated in a chair. When the assessor says "Go" the participant will stand up from the chair, walk 3 meters or 10 feet, turn around and walk back to the chair and sit down. The assessor will use a stopwatch to measure how much time it takes to complete this task. A score of 12 seconds or more indicates increased fall risk.
Time frame: 1 week prior to 1 week prior to intervention start date (pre-test) and 1 week post intervention end date (post-test) start date and 1 week post intervention end date
Tinetti Balance and Gait Assessment Tool
Objective functional outcome measure that assesses fall risk. This test looks at 9 different balance tasks (sitting balance, sit to stand, standing balance, for example) and 7 domains during gait (hesitancy to begin walking, step length and height, step symmetry, step continuity, for example). Balance score is out of 16 and gait score is out of 12. Total score is out of 28. The lower the score, the higher the fall risk.
Time frame: 1 week prior to intervention start date (pre-test) and 1 week post intervention end date (post-test)
Lower Extremity Functional Scale
Objective functional outcome measure that determines functional ability during lower extremity tasks. Subjects rate their ability to perform 20 different lower extremity tasks on a 0-4 scale (0 is unable to complete activity and 4 is no difficulty). Scores range from 0-80. A total score of 80 means no difficulty with any task listed. 0 means unable to perform any task listed. The minimum clinically important difference (MCID) for the Lower Extremity Functional Scale is 9 points.
Time frame: 1 week prior to intervention start date (pre-test) and 1 week post intervention end date (post-test)
Strength
Participant strength will be measured using the exercise equipment (FREI-Swiss Factum Line). Participants will perform maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) for each muscle group on each piece of exercise equipment for agonist and antagonist muscles. This strength testing will determine how much resistance will be provided during the intervention; the exercise equipment uses a specific algorithm to determine how much load will be provided. Each participant will be given a unique card to "log in" to the equipment during each session and it will keep note of their scores and performance on each piece of equipment. The MVIC will take place pre and post intervention.
Time frame: 1 week prior to intervention start date and 1 week post intervention end date
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