Abstract
DiBenedetto M, Innes KE, Taylor AG, Rodeheaver PF, Boxer JA, Wright HJ, Kerrigan DC.
Effect of a gentle Iyengar yoga program on gait in the elderly: an exploratory study.
Objective
To determine if a tailored yoga program could improve age-related changes in hip extension,
stride length, and associated indices of gait function in healthy elders, changes
that have been linked to increased risk for falls, dependency, and mortality in geriatric
populations.
Design
Single group pre-post test exploratory study. A 3-dimensional quantitative gait evaluation,
including kinematic and kinetic measurements, was performed pre- and postintervention.
Changes over time (baseline to postintervention) in primary and secondary outcome
variables were assessed using repeated-measures analysis of variance.
Setting
Yoga exercises were performed in an academic medical center (group classes) and in
the subjects’ homes (yoga home-practice assignments). Pre- and postassessments were
performed in a gait laboratory.
Participants
Twenty-three healthy adults (age range, 62–83y) who were naive to yoga were recruited;
19 participants completed the program.
Intervention
An 8-week Iyengar Hatha yoga program specifically tailored to elderly persons and
designed to improve lower-body strength and flexibility. Participants attended two
90-minute yoga classes per week, and were asked to complete at least 20 minutes of
directed home practice on alternate days.
Main Outcome Measures
Peak hip extension, average anterior pelvic tilt, and stride length at comfortable
walking speed.
Results
Peak hip extension and stride length significantly increased (F1,18=15.44, P<.001; F1,18=5.57, P=.03, respectively). We also observed a trend toward reduced average pelvic tilt (F1,18=4.10, P=.06); adjusting for the modifying influence of frequency of home yoga practice strengthened
the significance of this association (adjusted F1,17=14.30, P=.001). Both the frequency and duration of yoga home practice showed a strong, linear,
dose-response relationship to changes in hip extension and average pelvic tilt.
Conclusions
Findings of this exploratory study suggest that yoga practice may improve hip extension,
increase stride length, and decrease anterior pelvic tilt in healthy elders, and that
yoga programs tailored to elderly adults may offer a cost-effective means of preventing
or reducing age-related changes in these indices of gait function.
Key Words
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Article info
Footnotes
Supported by National Center for Medical Rehabilitation and Research (NCMRR) (grant no. NIH HD01351) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (grant no. NIH K30-AT-00060). The contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NCMRR or NCCAM.
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.
Identification
Copyright
© 2005 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
