Promoting Balance and Strength in the Middle-Aged Workforce

Abstract

The prevalence of sustaining fall-related injuries is high in the middle-aged workforce. Deficits in postural control/muscle strength represent important fall-risk factors. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of balance and strength training followed by detraining on postural control and muscle strength in the workforce. Thirty-two adults with sedentary office work participated in this study and were assigned to an intervention (age 56.0±3.7 yrs) or a control group (age 55.5±3.4 yrs). The intervention group participated in 8 weeks of balance and strength training conducted at the worksite, followed by 8 weeks of detraining. Tests included the measurement of (a) total centre of pressure (COP) displacements during one-legged standing, (b) gait velocity and stride-to-stride variability, (c) peak isometric/isokinetic torque and rate of torque development (RTD) of the plantar flexors, and (d) jumping height. After training, significant improvements in COP displacements, gait velocity, peak isometric/isokinetic torque, RTD, and jumping height were observed. During detraining, muscle strength deteriorated, whereas postural control improved. This fall-preventive training program conducted at the worksite proved to be feasible and effective. It is suggested that this training program should be permanently conducted to maintain/improve muscle strength.

balance training - strength training - stride-to-stride variability - centre of pressure displacements - peak torque - jumping height

References

• 1 Agnew J, Suruda AJ. Age and fatal work-related falls.  Hum Factors. 1993;  35 731-736
• 2 Buck PC, Coleman VP. Slipping, tripping and falling accidents at work: a national picture.  Ergonomics. 1985;  28 949-958
• 3 Bundesamt für Statistik: Sektion Demografie und Migration (ed) .Demografisches Porträt der Schweiz: Ausgabe 2009. Neuchatel: Bundesamt für Statistik; 2009
• 4 Chodzko-Zajko WJ, Proctor DN, Fiatarone Singh MA, Minson CT, Nigg CR, Salem GJ, Skinner JS. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and physical activity for older adults.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;  41 1510-1530
• 5 Cohen J. (ed) Statistical Power for the Behavioral Sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum; 1988
• 6 Coren S. The lateral preference inventory for measurement of handedness, footedness, eyedness, and earedness: Norms for young adults.  Bull Psych Soc. 1993;  31 1-3
• 7 Dishman RK, Oldenburg B, O'Neal H, Shephard RJ. Worksite physical activity interventions.  Am J Prev Med. 1998;  15 344-361
• 8 Era P, Sainio P, Koskinen S, Haavisto P, Vaara M, Aromaa A. Postural balance in a random sample of 7,979 subjects aged 30 years and over.  Gerontology. 2006;  52 204-213
• 9 Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A. G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences.  Behav Res Methods. 2007;  39 175-191
• 10 Frey I, Berg A, Grathwohl D, Keul J. Freiburg Questionnaire of physical activity – development, evaluation and application.  Soz Praventivmed. 1999;  44 55-64
• 11 Gillespie LD, Robertson MC, Gillespie WJ, Lamb SE, Gates S, Cumming RG, Rowe BH. Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community.  Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2009;  CD007146
• 12 Granacher U, Gollhofer A, Strass D. Training induced adaptations in characteristics of postural reflexes in elderly men.  Gait Posture. 2006;  24 459-466
• 13 Granacher U, Gruber M, Gollhofer A. Force production capacity and functional reflex activity in young and elderly men.  Aging Clin Exp Res. 2009;  Epub ahead of print
• 14 Granacher U, Gruber M, Gollhofer A. Resistance training and neuromuscular performance in seniors.  Int J Sports Med. 2009;  30 652-657
• 15 Granacher U, Gruber M, Gollhofer A. The impact of sensorimotor training on postural control in elderly men.  Deut Z Sportmed. 2009;  60 387-393
• 16 Granacher U, Gruber M, Strass D, Gollhofer A. The impact of sensorimotor training in elderly men on maximal and explosive force production capacity.  Deut Z Sportmed. 2007;  58 446-451
• 17 Granacher U, Muehlbauer T, Bridenbaugh S, Bleiker E, Wehrle A, Kressig RW. Balance training and multi-task performance in seniors.  Int J Sports Med. 2010;  31 353-358
• 18 Gruber M, Gruber SB, Taube W, Schubert M, Beck SC, Gollhofer A. Differential effects of ballistic versus sensorimotor training on rate of force development and neural activation in humans.  J Strength Cond Res. 2007;  21 274-282
• 19 Häkkinen K, Alen M, Kallinen M, Newton RU, Kraemer WJ. Neuromuscular adaptation during prolonged strength training, detraining and re-strength-training in middle-aged and elderly people.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2000;  83 51-62
• 20 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. International Journal of Sports Medicine – Ethical Standards in Sport and Exercise Science Research.  Int J Sports Med. 2009;  30 701-702
• 21 Heitkamp HC, Horstmann T, Mayer F, Weller J, Dickhuth HH. Balance training in men and women: Effect on knee extensors and flexors.  Isokin Exerc Sci. 2001;  9 41-44
• 22 Heitkamp HC, Horstmann T, Mayer F, Weller J, Dickhuth HH. Gain in strength and muscular balance after balance training.  Int J Sports Med. 2001;  22 285-290
• 23 Hollman JH, Kovash FM, Kubik JJ, Linbo RA. Age-related differences in spatiotemporal markers of gait stability during dual task walking.  Gait Posture. 2007;  26 113-119
• 24 Ilmarinen J. The ageing workforce – challenges for occupational health.  Occup Med. 2006;  56 362-364
• 25 Izquierdo M, Aguado X, Gonzalez R, Lopez JL, Häkkinen K. Maximal and explosive force production capacity and balance performance in men of different ages.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1999;  79 260-267
• 26 Jordan K, Challis JH, Newell KM. Walking speed influences on gait cycle variability.  Gait Posture. 2007;  26 128-134
• 27 Kapteyn TS, Bles W, Njiokiktjien CJ, Kodde L, Massen CH, Mol JM. Standardization in platform stabilometry being a part of posturography.  Agressologie. 1983;  24 321-326
• 28 Kemmlert K, Lundholm L. Slips, trips and falls in different work groups – with reference to age and from a preventive perspective.  Appl Ergon. 2001;  32 149-153
• 29 Kressig RW, Beauchet O. Guidelines for clinical applications of spatio-temporal gait analysis in older adults.  Aging Clin Exp Res. 2006;  18 174-176
• 30 Layne LA, Pollack KM. Nonfatal occupational injuries from slips, trips, and falls among older workers treated in hospital emergency departments, United States 1998.  Am J Ind Med. 2004;  46 32-41
• 31 Leamon TB, Murphy PL. Occupational slips and falls: more than a trivial problem.  Ergonomics. 1995;  38 487-498
• 32 Lord SR, Sherrington C, Menz HB. (eds) Falls in older people: Risk Factors and Strategies for Prevention. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2007
• 33 McNamee R, Kemmlert K, Lundholm L, Cherry NM. Injuries after falls at work in the United Kingdom and Sweden with special reference to fractures in women over 45.  Occup Environ Med. 1997;  54 785-792
• 34 Morfitt JM. Falls in old people at home: intrinsic versus environmental factors in causation.  Public Health. 1983;  97 115-120
• 35 Onambele GL, Narici MV, Maganaris CN. Calf muscle-tendon properties and postural balance in old age.  J Appl Physiol. 2006;  100 2048-2056
• 36 Owings TM, Grabiner MD. Measuring step kinematic variability on an instrumented treadmill: how many steps are enough?.  J Biomech. 2003;  36 1215-1218
• 37 Priest AW, Salamon KB, Hollman JH. Age-related differences in dual task walking: a cross sectional study.  J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2008;  5 29
• 38 Skelton DA. Effects of physical activity on postural stability.  Age Ageing. 2001;  30 (S 04) 33-39
• 39 Suetta C, Magnusson SP, Beyer N, Kjaer M. Effect of strength training on muscle function in elderly hospitalized patients.  Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2007;  17 464-472
• 40 Taube W, Gruber M, Gollhofer A. Spinal and supraspinal adaptations associated with balance training and their functional relevance.  Acta Physiol. 2008;  193 101-116
• 41 Webber SC, Porter MM. Effects of ankle power training on movement time in mobility-impaired older women.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010;  42 1233-1240

Correspondence