An Intervention Study Of Square Dancing And Core Strength Exercises On Fall Risk Among Middle-aged And Elderly Women

Objective:In 1999,China has entered an aging society.By 2018,the population aged 60 years and over will be 240 million,accounting for 17.3% of the total population.With the increase of age,the physical indicators of the elderly also decline,leading to frequent falls in the elderly.Falls bring great pain to the elderly and great financial burden to families.Therefore,how to reduce the risk of falls for the elderly has become a research hotspot in the 21 st century.In this study,two sets of exercise prescriptions were formulated according to the physiological characteristics of middle-aged and elderly women,using square dance practice and core strength combined with square dance practice.A 12-week intervention experiment was conducted to explore the intervention effect of the two intervention methods on the risk of falls of middle-aged and elderly women,and to provide experimental and theoretical basis for reducing the incidence of falls of middle-aged and elderly women.Method:Taking Changhong Park in Nankai District of Tianjin as the test site,a questionnaire was randomly distributed to middle-aged and old women who participated in square dance practice.The basic situation of the subjects was investigated through the questionnaire.Before the first test,the Tetrax fall risk test system was used to test the falls risk index of the subjects.After screening,24 middle-aged and elderly women aged 55-65,who participated in square dancing for about 2 years and exercised more than four times a week were selected.The subjects had no motor contraindication and no history of falls,but had a moderate risk of falls(the fall index ranged from 36 to58).The subjects were randomly divided into square dance group and core force combined square dance group(hereinafter referred to as core force combined group),each group of 12 people.According to the physical condition and exercise basis of the subjects,the exercise prescription suitable for middle-aged and old women was formulated,and a 12-week exercise intervention experiment(1 hour each time,6times a week)was conducted.The square dance group mainly carries out square dance exercises.Eight of the 12 sets of square dance promoted by the State General Administration of Sports are selected as the intervention mode of the square dance group.The core strength training group adopts the combination of square dance practice and core strength(Monday,Wednesday and Five,Tuesday,Thursday and Sixth,respectively),and the core strength training mainly adopts the cushion exercise to overcome its own gravity.During the exercise period,the intensity and form of exercise were not changed,and the subjects did not participate in other sports.Before and after 12 weeks of intervention,the relevant indicators were measured,and the intervention effects of square dance and core strength combined with square dance exercise on the fall risk of middle-aged and elderly women were analyzed.Result:1.Changes of body composition indexes before and after exercise Compared with pre-exercise,single square dance practice and core strength combined with square dance practice have significant effects on improving the body composition of middle-aged and elderly women.BMI of core strength group decreased from 24.33 ±1.84 to 23.63 ±1.75(P < 0.01),body fat percentage decreased from 37.03 ±3.72 to 34.53 ±3.43(P < 0.01),lean weight increased from 37.91 ±3.50 to 38.31 ±3.75(P < 0.05),BMI of square dance group decreased from 24.48 ±2.24 to 23.98 ±2.23(P < 0.05),and body fat percentage decreased from 37.22 ±2.56 to36.07 ±0.78(P < 0.05).2.Changes of Trunk Muscle Strength before and after Exercise Trunk muscle strength is an integral part of core muscle strength,which can be well evaluated.Compared with those before exercise,the trunk flexor strength,trunk extensor strength and trunk lateral flexor strength(left and right)increased significantly after exercise.The trunk flexor strength increased from 23.59 ± 4.86 kg to 30.41 ± 6.33 kg(P < 0.05),trunk extensor strength increased from 26.68 ± 6.43 kg to 34.91 ± 8.78 kg(P < 0.01),trunk lateral flexor strength(left)increased from 21.05± 3.70 kg to 26.91 kg(P < 0.01).The strength of flexor muscle of trunk side(right)increased from 22.95 ± 4.40 to 28.91 ± 6.48 kg(P < 0.01),and there was no significant change in core muscle strength before and after exercise in square dancing group.The results show that core strength training can significantly increase the core muscle strength of middle-aged and old women.3.Changes of balance ability of subjects before and after exercise Compared with the pre-exercise group,the coordination and stability(front and back direction)of the core strength combination group showed significant changes.The dynamic coordination score increased from 76.45 ± 8.12 to 84.55 ± 5.28(P < 0.01),and the dynamic stability score increased from 72.45 ± 10.56 to 82.27 ± 10.42(P <0.05).There was no significant change in the related indexes of dynamic balance ability before and after exercise in the square dance group.4.Changes of fall index before and after exercise Compared with the pre-exercise group,the fall index of core strength combined group decreased significantly from 37.91 ± 15.34 to 26.00 ±10.75(P < 0.01),and entered the "low fall risk" range,which indicated that core strength training was beneficial to reduce the fall risk.There was no significant change in fall index before and after exercise in square dancing group.5.Changes of gait spatial parameters before and after exercise Compared with the pre-exercise group,the walking speed and stride length of the core strength group increased significantly after exercise,and the walking cycle decreased significantly.The walking speed increased from 1.10 ± 0.12m/s to 1.17 ± 0.11m/s(P <0.05),the stride length increased from 1.21 ± 0.05 m to 1.25 ± 0.06m(P < 0.05),and the walking cycle decreased from 1.12 ± 0.09 s to 1.05 ± 0.12s(P < 0.05).Strength has been improved,which can effectively prevent falls.There was no significant change in gait spatial index before and after exercise in square dancing group.Conclusion:1.12-week square dance exercise can significantly reduce the body fat content of middle-aged and elderly women,but has no significant effect on reducing the risk of falling.2.The 12-week core strength combined with square dance exercise can significantly improve the body composition of middle-aged and elderly women,enhance core muscle strength,and significantly improve the dynamic balance ability,gait stability and coordination,effectively reduce the risk of falling.3.The effect of core strength combined with square dance exercise is more significant than that of single square dance exercise.Middle-aged and old women should increase core muscle strength exercise on the basis of square dance exercise to stabilize their gait and reduce the risk of falling.