Older adult Alexander Technique practitioners walk differently than healthy age-matched controls.

The Alexander Technique (AT) seeks to eliminate harmful patterns of tension that interfere with the control of posture and movement and in doing so, it may serve as a viable intervention method for increasing gait efficacy in older adults. The purpose of this study was to compare the comfortable pace gait kinematics of older AT practitioners with those of healthy, age-matched controls. Participants were six licensed AT practitioners and seven healthy age-matched controls between the ages of 61-76. During the stance phase, AT participants exhibited significantly greater ankle stance range of motion (ROM) and plantar flexion at toe off, as well as lower ROM of the trunk and head compared to controls. During the swing phase, the AT practitioners had significantly increased hip and knee flexion and a trend toward significantly increased dorsiflexion. The findings suggest that the older AT practitioners walked with gait patterns more similar to those found in the literature for younger adults. These promising results highlight the need for further research to assess the AT's potential role as an intervention method for ameliorating the deleterious changes in gait that occur with aging.

Effects of Alexander Technique training experience on gait behavior in older adults.

Heightened fall risk, potentially caused by aging-related changes in gait, is a serious health issue faced by older adults. The Alexander Technique is thought to improve balance and motor function; however, the technique's effect on gait has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Alexander Technique training in older adults on the temporospatial characteristics of gait and medio-lateral center of mass displacement during fast and comfortably paced over-ground walking. Six licensed Alexander Technique teachers and seven controls between the ages of 60 and 75 years of age participated in the study. Alexander Technique teachers exhibited a reduction in medio-lateral center of mass displacement during fast paced walking compared to comfortably paced walking that was not present in controls. Due to this difference Alexander Technique teachers displayed a smaller medio-lateral Center of Mass displacement compared to controls during fast paced walking. Alexander Technique teachers also demonstrated significantly smaller stride width and lower gait timing variability compared to controls. These findings, which suggest superior control of dynamic stability during gait and potentially reduced fall risk in Alexander Technique teachers, warrant further study.

Location of minimum foot clearance on the shoe and with respect to the obstacle changes with locomotor task.

Minimum foot clearance (MFC) as it relates to trips and falls has been extensively studied across many locomotor tasks, but examination of this body of research yields several studies with conflicting results and a wide range of MFCs within tasks. While there are several factors that may affect the MFC variability across studies (populations studied, environmental conditions, etc.), one aspect of the discrepancies in the literature may be the result of different placements of shoe markers and/or MFC calculation methods. A marker on the toe is often used, but may only quantify one aspect of how the foot actually clears the trip hazard. The purpose of this study was to determine the location on the shoe where MFC occurs during locomotor tasks with the highest risk of tripping. Ten young adults performed three trials of locomotor tasks which included overground walking, obstacle crossing, level change and stair negotiation. Clearance was calculated for 72 points on each shoe, including those most commonly used in past research. The location of the overall MFC on the shoe sole differed both between limbs and across locomotor tasks. Additionally, the region of the obstacle, step or stair over which the MFC occurred varied both within and across task. Use of this 3D MFC methodology provided further insight into which portions of the shoe may come closest to the tripping hazard. Future research should examine whether the location and value of the MFC changes between different populations, or with environmental modifications.

Kicking performance in relation to balance ability over the support leg.

Balance control is presumed to be a fundamental constraint on the organization of skilled movement. The current experiment explored whether single-leg balance ability predicted kicking performance on the other leg. Thirty-eight participants ranging widely in skill kicked a soccer ball with the right and left legs for maximum accuracy and velocity and performed single-leg balance on a force plate for 30 s with the right and left legs. Significant correlations between single-leg balance and kicking accuracy, but not velocity, were found. Left leg balance was more highly correlated than right leg balance with right (dominant) leg kicking accuracy. However, the same pattern of relations was not seen between single-leg balance and left (non-dominant) leg kicking accuracy. These findings provide preliminary support for the importance of balance ability in kicking performance. The importance of balance in the production of athletic skills is discussed and additional experimental paradigms are suggested that might further our knowledge in this area.

Stability of kyphosis, strength, and physical performance gains 1 year after a group exercise program in community-dwelling hyperkyphotic older women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if subjects maintained improvements in kyphosis, spinal extensor strength, and physical performance 1 year after a 12-week multidimensional group exercise program. DESIGN: Follow-up data compared with posttest outcome measures. SETTING: Outpatient academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Nineteen of the initial 21 women, ages 65 to 80, with thoracic kyphosis of 50 degrees or greater at the onset of the study completed follow-up testing. INTERVENTIONS: Initial intervention included multidimensional group exercise performed 2 times a week for 12 weeks, consisting of spinal extensor strengthening, flexibility exercises, and integrated spinal proprioception training. Subjects exercised independently during the following year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary measures at the 1-year follow-up were usual and best kyphosis. Secondary measures included spinal extensor strength, modified Physical Performance Test (PPT), and the Jug Test. RESULTS: Subjects maintained gains at the 1-year follow-up (P>.05). Best kyphosis improved by 3 degrees during the follow-up year (P=.022). There were no significant declines in usual kyphosis (P=.302), spinal extensor strength (P=.999), PPT (P=.087), and the Jug Test (P=.999) at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperkyphotic women maintained gains in usual kyphosis, spinal extensor strength, and physical performance 1 year after a group exercise program. Improvement in best kyphosis in the year after the intervention was also observed. Detraining effects may be minimized by multidimensional exercises.

Changes in flexed posture, musculoskeletal impairments, and physical performance after group exercise in community-dwelling older women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether improvements in flexed posture, strength, range of motion (ROM), and physical performance would be observed after 12 weeks of group exercise in older women who because of age are prone to flexed posture and impaired physical function. DESIGN: Pretest-posttest of outcome measures. SETTING: Outpatient academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one women with thoracic kyphosis of 50 degrees or greater. INTERVENTION: Multidimensional group exercise performed 2 times a week for 12 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary dependent measures of flexed posture included kyphosis, forward head, and height. Other dependent measures included spinal extensor muscle strength; shoulder, hip, and knee ROM; balance; modified Physical Performance Test (PPT); jug test; and gait speed. RESULTS: Baseline kyphosis was 57 degrees +/-5.0 degrees , and age was 72.0+/-4.2 years. There were significant improvements in usual (-6 degrees +/-3 degrees ) and best kyphosis (-5 degrees +/-3 degrees ) (P<.001), spinal extensor muscle strength (21%+/-13% of peak torque/body weight, P<.001), popliteal angle (right, 7 degrees +/-7 degrees ; left, 9 degrees +/-10 degrees ; P<.001), modified PPT (2+/-2 points, P<.001), and jug test (-1.4+/-1.3s, P<.001). Age and modified PPT at baseline correlated with change in kyphosis (r=0.5, P=.02; r=.42, P=.055, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Multidimensional group exercise reduced measured kyphosis and improved strength, ROM, and physical performance. This study provides a promising exercise intervention that may improve posture and physical performance in older women with flexed posture.