Dance-based interventions on balance and falls in the elderly in order to health promotion: a literature review

Abstract

A balance disorder is one of the most common disorders in older people that leads to falls and endangers the health of the elderly. Falls can result in both physical injuries and psychological problems. Many economic burdens are also imposed on individuals, their families, and the community. One way to increase balance, decrease falls, and thereby enhance the health of the elderly is through dance-based therapies. This study aims to review articles using different dance-based interventions such as yoga, Pilates, tai chi and aerobics on balance improvement and fall prevention in elderly individuals. This narrative review was performed using narrative synthesis. An extensive literature search was performed in databases of Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ISI Web of Knowledge using OR, AND, and NOT operators and the selected keywords. Only studies written in English and published in journals between 2010 and May 2022 were used for this purpose. The articles chosen in this study were those that have studied the effect of dance-based interventions on balance and fall prevention in the elderly. Studies that involved other disabilities that upset the balance and caused falls and that examined the effect of other interventions on balance and falls in these people were also excluded from the study. Finally, 22 articles were selected from the final evaluation. Yoga, Tai Chi, Aerobics, and Pilates were among the dance-based interventions examined in these trials. The results of this study demonstrated that all dance-based interventions could enhance balance and hence decrease falls in the elderly. Older people may also benefit more from longer training sessions and more intense activity. We can conclude that these interventions can help older adults improve their balance and decrease their risk of falling. Consequently, they might be viewed as promoting this population's health.