Dual-Task Training Effects on Mobility of Older Adults Residents of Porto Alegre: Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction: Balance deficit during gait is a factor that affects older people’s mobility. It’s related to an increased risk of falls, hospitalization, and mortality. Regular physical activity is an easy and low-cost strategy to improve older adults’s functional mobility. Dual-task training is also suggested to improve balance and has been highlighted in the new World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management for Older Adults. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dual-task training on functional mobility of community-dwelling older adults. Methodology: Volunteers over 60 years old were submitted to a 24-weeks exercise routine associated with dual-task challenges. On the first 12 weeks of muscular training, based on The High Intensity Functional Exercise (HIFE) Program was applied. On the following 12 weeks, cognitive challenges and dual-task exercises were added to the exercise protocol. Functional mobility was evaluated by different gait strategies (Figure 8 Walking Test, Tandem Gait Test, 10 Meter Walk Test), in admission, after 12 weeks, and at the end of 24 weeks intervention protocol. Results: Seven participants achieved the preestablished protocol length. The mean values showed that the time of execution has diminished in Tandem Gait Test and Figure 8 Walking Test, when comparing the first and the last evaluations. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that possible dual-task exercise is an effective way to improve older adults’s gait.