Research and News
Posts tagged balance training
Systematic review supports balance training
Jul 1st
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our email updates for new blog posts. Thanks for visiting!
Balance training using unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band Stability Trainers and Rocker / Wobble Boards continue to increase in popularity both in rehabilitation and sports performance. In addition, balance training has been shown to be beneficial in preventing injuries across the lifespan, from athletes to older adults.
German researchers published a systematic review of the efficacy of balance training for neuromuscular control and performance enhancement in the Journal of Athletic Training. 20 randomized clinical trials of balance training met their inclusion criteria for the review. As with many systematic reviews, the authors noted a lack of methodological quality and conflicting findings between studies. Nonetheless, they were able to make some conclusions:
- Balance training is effective at improving static postural sway and dynamic balance in both athletes and non-athletes.
- Balance exercises are recommended for postural and neuromuscular improvements, particularly for rehabilitation and preventive purposes.
- To improve strength, jumping or sports performance other interventions such as strength training are more effective than balance training.
- Longer balance training durations of 6 to 12 weeks seem more effective than shorter (4 week) durations.
The authors concluded that further research with higher methodological quality More >
Thera-Band exercise reduces falls and improves quality of life in women with osteoporosis
May 11th
Persons with osteoporosis are at higher risk of fracture after a fall. It’s well-known that exercise is an important aspect of managing osteoporosis, yet there are few studies evaluating the effects of balance exercises on actually preventing falls in women with osteoporosis. The Academy Blog recently featured a study showing that elastic resistance training can reduce the risk factors associated with falls, but did not examine actual fall rates.
Researchers in Brazil investigated the effects of a year-long balance training program on quality of life, balance, and falls in older women with osteoporosis. The women were randomly assigned to an exercise group or control group. Those in the exercise group performed a balance training program 1 hour per week, supplemented with home exercises for 12 months. The program consisted of 15 minutes of warm-up and stretching exercises, 15 minutes of walking, and 30 minutes of dynamic and static balance training exercises. The same exercises were repeated at home 3 times a week for 30 minutes. The researchers used a previously published exercise protocol that showed a significant decrease in falls in Japanese older adults. The exercises in the group and at home included moderate resistance training with dumbbells and Thera-Band exercise bands.
After 12 More >
Wobble board exercises can reduce ankle injuries in soccer players
Jan 18th
Neuromuscular training has long been performed in Europe as part of sports training and injury prevention. Neuromuscular training involves progressive balance training using unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band® Stability Trainers, Stability Discs, and Balance Boards. Several studies have reported that proprioceptive exercises and training reduce injuries in athletes.
Researchers in Hungary evaluated the effects of a 20-month proprioceptive training program in 10 female handball players. Their ankle proprioception was compared to a control group of 10 competitive athletes. The program included static and dynamic balance exercises using wobble boards. At the end of 20 months, the training group had completed 780 hours of the proprioceptive exercise. Their ankle proprioception, measured by ankle joint position sense, was significantly better compared to the control group. In addition, the training group experienced a 50% reduction in injuries. Proprioceptive training progression including Thera-Band Wobble Boards can improve ankle proprioception and may decrease ankle injury rates in contact sports.
REFERENCE: Kynsburg A, Pánics G, Halasi T. Long-term neuromuscular training and ankle joint position sense. Acta Physiol Hung. 2010 Jun;97(2):183-91.
Evidence-based Recommendations for Core Training with Unstable Surfaces
Sep 2nd
Core training has maintained its popularity in fitness and rehabilitation despite controversies over optimal training methods for “core stability.” Training with unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band® exercise balls, stability trainers, and balance boards have been recommended for core training, suggesting that such surfaces promote activation of core muscles. The “core” can be defined as the axial skeletal and its muscular and fascial attachments, including the pelvic and shoulder girdle.
Recently, resistance training while balancing on unstable surfaces such as exercise balls has become popular. Canadian researchers David Behm PhD and colleagues published a comprehensive review and position stand on the use of instability to train the core. Research has shown that exercises performed on unstable surfaces produce higher levels of muscle activation in both the core and extremity muscles compared to stable surfaces. However, force and power outputs are decreased while exercising on unstable surfaces, sometimes up to 70%. Interestingly, increasing levels of core muscle activation can also be achieved with free weight exercises such as squats and Olympic lifts without added instability.
In their article, the authors made several recommendations for both athletes and non-athletic conditioning based on their review of the literature. Dr. Behm et al. noted that athletes should emphasize “higher-intensity ground-based lifts” (such More >
Functional rehabilitation of chronic ankle instability effective
Jul 12th
It’s been reported that athletes suffering an ankle sprains re-injure their ankle 70% to 80% of the time. This leads to chronic ankle instability or ‘functional ankle instability’. Rehabilitation for chronic ankle sprains often includes functional exercises including dynamic closed-chain activities. Thera-Band® products such as elastic resistance bands, stability trainers and balance boards are used for functional rehabilitation.
Researchers at the University of Toledo performed a systematic review of functional exercise interventions for their effectiveness. They identified 6 studies that met their criteria for the review, including 4 that used balance boards and elastic resistance strengthening. The researchers concluded that functional rehabilitation improves dynamic balance and self-reported function in patients with chronic ankle sprains. The exercise programs from the reviewed studies generally lasted 4 to 6 weeks and were performed 3 to 5 times a week. Finally, they pointed out that wobble board training in rehabilitation programs is “supported by the literature”; therefore, Thera-Band balance boards should be a standard component of chronic ankle instability rehabilitation program.
REFERENCE Webster KA, Gribble PA. Functional rehabilitation interventions for chronic ankle instability: a systematic review. J Sport Rehabil. 2010 Feb;19(1):98-114.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Ankle Sprain resource center here
