Effects Of Ball Yoga Practice On Functional Mobility And Quality Of Life In Elderly Wome

Purposes:To explore the effect of ball yoga practice on the functional activity ability and quality of life(QOL)of elderly women,and investigate the correlation between the enhance of functional activity ability and the improvement of QOL.This study can provide new ideas and methods for physical exercise for the old adults of this group in the future,and resultantly,increases their motor function and QOL.Methods:Thirty nine women aged 60-65 years old in Chongming District of Shanghai participate this research,they were randomly divided into experimental group(EG)and control group(CG).EG participants received yoga exercise on swiss ball 3 times a week,60 min each time for 12 weeks,while CG participants did not participate in any form of exercise intervention(<3 times a week,each time<30min),and maintained the original life status.In this study,the functional activity ability(functional action screening,functional physical fitness)were measured before and after the intervention,the SF-36 scale was used to measure QOL.Paired sample T test was used to compare the pre-and post-test data in the group.Independent sample T test was used to compare pre-and post-test data between groups.Pearson correlation analysis was used to observe the correlation between the enhance of the functional activity ability and the improvement of QOL.Results:(1)Functional movement screening: After 12 weeks of ball yoga intervention,there were significant intra-group differences in the scores of overtop squat,hurdle step,straight lunge,rotation stability,trunk stability push-up and total scores of the experimental group(p<0.01),while the scores of shoulder flexibility and active straight knee leg lift movement pattern were also improved,but no significant intra-group differences(p>0.05);There were no significant differences in the scores of each dimension in control group(p>0.05).After intervention,there were significant inter-group differences in hurdle step,linear lunge,rotational stability and total scores of the two groups of elderly women(p<0.01),there were significant inter-group differences in over squat and trunk stabilization push-up movement patterns(p<0.05),but there were no significant inter-group differences in shoulder flexibility and active straight knee leg lift movement patterns(p>0.05).(2)Functional physical fitness: After 12 weeks of ball yoga intervention,all the test indexes of the experimental group showed significant differences,among which the upper limb and lower limb muscle strength,lower limb flexibility and aerobic endurance had significant differences within the group(p<0.01);There were no significant differences in the test indexes of control group(p>0.05).After intervention,there were significant differences in lower limb muscle strength,lower limb flexibility and aerobic endurance between the two groups(p<0.01),but no significant differences in upper limb muscle strength,upper limb flexibility and balance/agility between the two groups(p>0.05).(3)Quality of life: After 12 weeks of ball yoga intervention,the scores of physiological function,energy and mental health of the experimental group had significant differences within the group(p<0.01),scores of physiological function and general health had significant differences within the group(p<0.05),but scores of physical pain,emotional function and social function had no significant differences within the group(p>0.05).There were no significant differences in the scores of each dimension in control group(p>0.05).(4)On the correlation analysis between the improvement of motor function and the improvement of life quality: there was a significant positive correlation between oversquatting and body pain(r=0.553,p=0.014<0.05);Hurdle step was positively correlated with physiological function(r=0.475,p=0.040<0.05).Rotation stability was significantly positively correlated with physical pain(r=0.597,p=0.007<0.01)and with mental health(r=0.558,p=0.013<0.05).The total score was positively correlated with physiological function(r=0.584,p=0.009<0.01).All indexes of functional fitness were not correlated with quality of life.Conclusions:(1)12 weeks ball yoga practice can improve the functional motor activity ability of the elderly women,which are reflected both in the optimization of motor pattern and the performance of motor performance.(2)In movement pattern,12 weeks Swiss ball yoga practice can improve the lower limb joint motion,flexibility and symmetry,trunk stability,as well as neuromuscular coordination ability of elderly women,especially in hurdle step and rotation stability.(3)In motor performance,12 weeks ball yoga practice can improve the upper and lower limb strength,upper and lower limb flexibility,flexibility and balance control,as well as aerobic endurance in elderly women,especially in lower limb strength,followed by aerobic endurance and upper body strength.(4)12 weeks ball yoga practice can improve the QOL of older women,especially in mental health and physiological function.(5)The optimization of the movement pattern induced by swiss ball yoga may be an important way to improve their quality of life.(6)This ball yoga practice program is safe,efficient and interesting,and could be an effective practice method to improve the functional activity ability of elderly women and QOL.