Abstract
Objective: In healthy children, there is evidence of improvements in static and dynamic balance performance following balance training. However, the time-course of balance training-related changes is unknown. Thus, we determined the effects of balance training after one, three, and six weeks of exercise on measures of static and dynamic balance in healthy children (N = 44, 20 females, mean age: 9.6 ± 0.5 years, age range: 9–11 years).
Results: Participants in the intervention group (2 × 25 min balance exercises per week) compared to those in the control group (2 × 25 min track and field exercises and soccer practice per week) significantly improved their static (i.e., by measuring stance time in the One-Legged Stance test) and dynamic (i.e., by counting step number in the 3-m Beam Walking Backward test) balance performance. Late effects (after 6 weeks) occurred most frequently followed by mid-term effects (after 3 weeks) and then early effects (after 1 week). These findings imply that balance training is effective to improve static and dynamic measures of balance in healthy children, whereby the effectiveness increases with increasing training period.
Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN16518737 (retrospectively registered at 24th August, 2023).
Results: Participants in the intervention group (2 × 25 min balance exercises per week) compared to those in the control group (2 × 25 min track and field exercises and soccer practice per week) significantly improved their static (i.e., by measuring stance time in the One-Legged Stance test) and dynamic (i.e., by counting step number in the 3-m Beam Walking Backward test) balance performance. Late effects (after 6 weeks) occurred most frequently followed by mid-term effects (after 3 weeks) and then early effects (after 1 week). These findings imply that balance training is effective to improve static and dynamic measures of balance in healthy children, whereby the effectiveness increases with increasing training period.
Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN16518737 (retrospectively registered at 24th August, 2023).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 81 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | BMC Research Notes |
| Volume | 17 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 19 Mar 2024 |
Bibliographical note
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The support by the Open Access Publication Fund of the University of Duisburg-Essen is acknowledged. The funding body is independent of the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript. Open access funding enabled and organized by the project DEAL.Keywords
- Postural control
- Childhood
- Intervention
- Timing
- Adaptations