The Effects of Pilates Exercise on Static and Dynamic Balance in the Elderly

The rapid changes in modern society, reduction in manual labor and increased interest in health have extended the life expectancy of modern people. This prolonged life expectancy has led to an increase in the absolute number and the relative proportion of the elderly population. According to the National Statistical Office (2016) in South Korea, the Korean population aged 65 years or older accounts for about 13% of the total population, with 6,624,000 individuals as of 2015, which is an increase of 2,000,000 compared with 10 years ago. The elderly population is predicted to increase to approximately 40% of the total population by 2020. This prediction has led many medical and health professionals to pay more attention to the health, safety, and quality of life of the elderly population. In particular, human body functions that change with age include changes in the musculoskeletal system and central nervous system (Alexander, 1994). The aging process is accompanied by the deterioration of various physical functions, and typical changes include decreased kinesthesia and proprioception, decreased muscle mass, increased vibration sensory threshold and decreased cognitive abilities such as memory and attention span (Kollegger, Baumgartner, Wober, Oder & Deecke, 1992). Such changes in physical functions often lead to gait instability and impaired balance ability, constraining the social autonomy of elderly individuals and causing falls in some cases (Jiang, 1993; Lach et al., 1991). In addition, decreased balance due to increasing age and decreased physical function due to reduced muscle strength, muscle endurance, especially reduced muscle endurance in the lower limbs, are important risk factors for falls (Tinetti & Speechley, 1989; Tobis, Friis & Reinsch, 1989; Whipple, Wolfson & Amerman, 1987). As such, falls and fall-associated injuries in the elderly are common. Nearly one-third of elderly individuals aged 75 years or older experience at least one fall and 6% of them sustain fractures over a 1-year period (Alexander, 1994). Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics 2016; 26(4): 397-405 http://dx.doi.org/10.5103/KJSB.2016.26.4.397 http://e-kjsb.org eISSN 2093-9752 ORIGINAL