Older Women More Surefooted After Dual-Task Balance Training

A Swedish study published in Gait & Posture suggests older women with thinning bones may have a steadier stride and a reduced risk of falls when they practice balance training and thinking tasks simultaneously, reports Reuters Health . The researchers tested the impact of dual-task balance training, such as walking on uneven services while doing math problems. The 95 female participants had osteoporosis and a fear of falling or a history of falls. Participants were assigned to either perform dual-task balance training three times weekly for 12 weeks, or to maintain their usual physical regimen. At the study's conclusion, those who practiced dual-task balance training could walk faster than the controls, and they showed distinct improvement in the rhythm of their walking gait, with less time between steps. David Conradsson with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm says the results "support the notion of the role of cognitively demanding balance training for the maintenance of safe and efficient gait in older women with osteoporosis."