Background and Objective: It is documented that as individuals age, they encounter challenges related to muscle weakness and disorders within the central nervous system, leading to issues with balance. Consequently, the adoption of various methods, such as specific exercises employing an active lifestyle approach, is a concern for middle-aged and elderly individuals in societies. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of 12 weeks of selected water-based exercise on the balance of middle-aged women.
Methodology: This semi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design. Twenty middle-aged women (40-45 years) were randomly divided into two groups of 10: a water exercise group and a control group. At the beginning and end of the 12-week training period in water, balance parameters (mean COP fluctuation, RMS of the COP fluctuation, mean velocity COP, and RMS of the COP velocity) were evaluated using a force plate device in two states: eyes open and closed, and in two axes: anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML). Mean and standard deviation were used to describe the data. The analysis was conducted using a one-way variance method, and to compare the means, Duncan's test was applied at a significance level of 0.05.
Results: In the water training group, the balance parameters decreased compared to pre-training. The most significant decrease was observed in the RMS of the COP fluctuation in the medial-lateral axis and with closed eyes. The least decrease was related to the RMS of the COP speed in the anterior-posterior axis and with closed eyes. In other words, after 12 weeks of training in the water exercise group, the mean and RMS of COP fluctuation and speed decreased in both states and axes. However, this decrease was statistically significant only in the medial-lateral axis (P<0.05). In the control group, after 12 weeks, most balance parameters decreased in the eyes-open state, while an increase was observed in the eyes-closed state. The most significant decrease was in the average COP fluctuation with open eyes and in the medial-lateral axis. Compared to the control group, the water exercise group showed a significant difference in the medial-lateral axis in both open and closed eyes states (P<0.05). No significant difference was observed in the anterior-posterior axis (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Exercise in water, owing to its low-risk nature and its ability to challenge the neuro-muscular system, can be considered a suitable method for maintaining and improving balance in middle-aged women.