Background: With dramatic increase in the number of older individuals, special efforts have been made to promote the levels of independence and reduce fall rates among these individuals. Objective: To investigate the effects of Thai dance exercises over 6 weeks on functional mobility and fall rates in community-dwelling older individuals. Methods: Sixty-one community-dwelling older adults were interviewed and assessed for their demographics and fall data during 6 months prior to participation in the study. Then they completed the quasi-experimental Thai dance exercise program for 50 minutes[Formula: see text]day, 3 days[Formula: see text]week over 6 weeks. Their functional mobility relating to levels of independence and safety were assessed prior to training, at 3-week and 6-week training. After completing the program at 6 weeks, participants were prospectively monitored for fall data over 6 months. Results: Participants improved their functional mobility significantly after 3- and 6-week training [Formula: see text]. The number of faller individuals obviously decreased from 35% [Formula: see text] prior to training to only 8% [Formula: see text] after training [Formula: see text]. Conclusion: The current findings further extend benefits of Thai dance as an alternative musical exercise program to promote levels of independence and safety among community-dwelling older adults.
This single-blind, randomized controlled trial compared the effects of Thai dance exercise training on hard, soft, and sand surfaces on the functional outcomes of 120 community-dwelling older adults (40 subjects/group). The subjects were involved in a Thai dance exercise program on each surface, according to their groups, for 50 min/day, 3 days/week, for 6 weeks. The functional outcomes were assessed prior to training, at Week 3, and Week 6 after training. Subjects showed a significant improvement in all functional tests at 3 and 6 weeks after training, particularly in those who were trained on a sand surface and a soft surface (7–30% improvement, p < .05). The improvement was especially demonstrated in the complex and demanding motor activities after exercise on a soft and sand surface. Aside from attempting to modify training programs on a hard surface, the current findings suggest an alternative and cost-effective program to promote the levels of independence and safety that can be applied easily in clinical, home-based, and community settings.
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