Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Sports Injuries and Corrective Exercises, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
2
Department of Sport Injury and Corrective Exercises, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Purpose:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 32,000 adults aged 65 and older die annually due to falls, with impaired motor performance being a key contributing factor. This study aimed to compare the effects of eight weeks of SAIL exercise and Kinesio taping on motor performance in women over 65 years of age.
Methods:
In this semi-experimental study, 24 older women were selected through purposive convenience sampling and randomly assigned equally into two groups: SAIL exercise (age: 72.5 ± 2.3 years, height: 162.9 ± 1.9 cm, weight: 64.5 ± 2.2 kg) and Kinesio taping (age: 72.6 ± 2.2 years, height: 161.5 ± 1.02 cm, weight: 64.8 ± 2.5 kg). The SAIL group participated in 8 weeks of training (three 1-hour sessions per week), and the other group received Kinesio taping. Static balance (Sharpened Romberg), dynamic balance (Timed Up and Go), lower limb strength (Chair Stand), and walking time (4-meter walk) were measured before and after the intervention. Data analysis was conducted using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS v27 with a significance level of 0.05.
Results:
Both interventions significantly improved static balance (η² = 0.763), dynamic balance (η² = 0.643), lower limb strength (η² = 0.905), and walking time (η² = 0.712) (p < 0.001). Static and dynamic balance showed significant between-group differences (p < 0.05; η² = 0.313 and 0.250), while no significant differences were observed between groups in strength or walking time (p > 0.05; η² = 0.012 and 0.023). Significant interaction effects for all variables (p < 0.05) indicated the interventions’ effectiveness varied depending on the time of measurement (η² range: 0.361–0.663).
Conclusion:
Both SAIL and Kinesio taping interventions were effective in improving motor function in older women; however, SAIL training yielded greater gains, especially in balance-related outcomes, as demonstrated by larger effect sizes (η² > 0.5).
Keywords
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