In order to compensate for reduced balance and stability during walking, elderly individuals show decreased cadence
and stride length, an increase in the base of support,and a decrease in walking speed. As a result, elderly individuals
are vulnerable to falls, an event more common in elderly women than any other group.
In this study, the two groups had similar physical characteristics before the start of the intervention. Following eight
weeks of exercise, the stationary bicycle group showed notably improved balance compared to the treadmill group,
and step length had also notably increased. In particular, the BBS score was higher in the stationary bicycle group than
in the treadmill group, indicating that stationary bicycle exercise is more effective at improving the balance of elderly
women than treadmill exercise.
BBS is a measure of dynamic balance, and Thorbahn et al. reported that a BBS score of