Introduction: Appropriate intervention to prevent falls in the elderly should be effective in strengthening the physical and mental aspects. Square stepping exercises (SSE) target both dimensions by combining sports activity and specific cognitive exercises. Considering the positive effect of this type of exercises in reducing the fear of falling, studies recommend it based on field tests. In the current research, the risk of falling before and after doing exercises with the Biodex balance meter device with higher validity and reliability is investigated. Therefore, the main goal of this research is the effect of eight weeks of square stepping exercises on the risk of falling in elderly men.Methodology: This research is an RCT type, in which 30 elderly people were selected from the community according to the entry criteria and divided into two groups of 15 people, SSE and control. In the pre-test measurement, the Biodex device fall risk test was performed with a difficulty level of 10-12, an attempt time of 20 seconds, the number of 3 attempts, and a rest time of 10 seconds between each attempt. Then, the SSE group followed 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks and 60 to 70 minutes of training in each session, while the control group followed daily activities. Stepping patterns are leveled in the exercise book and first the pattern chosen by the trainer was done on the ready mats, then the participants did it to master it, then we asked them to raise their heels.196 training patterns have been designed that we have progressed to beginner level 2 according to the research conditions. Then the measurements related to the post-test were done and the results were reviewed and evaluated. Results: The research results showed that eight weeks of SSE can significantly reduce the risk of falling (p=0.001) in the exercise group (n=14) with a post-test mean of 2.35 ± 1.15 compared to the control group. control (n=14) with a post-test average of 4.85 ± 1.70.
Conclusion: The results of the present research were in line with Weidman et al. 2023 and Silva et al. 2018, who measured the effectiveness of exercise on the risk of falling in the elderly, and with Sherrington's 2017 review of fall prevention exercises. As a practical and inexpensive training method that can be applied in any environment, square stepping exercises reduce the risk of falling in the elderly, so learning and doing it is recommended for the elderly.