Participants were shown how to perform easy balancing
exercises. They practiced the exercises until they could
perform them correctly. All received brochures and a DVD
reminding them how to exercise daily at home. The exercises
included: strengthening exercise, emphasizing hip abductors
and extensors;
closed kinetic chain quadriceps exercise;
marching;
stepping
over a bench; standing up from a chair with
arms folded; and tandem walk (walking heel-to-toe in a straight
line). They were asked to perform seven balance exercises,
10–20 repetitions for each, which took about 15–20 minutes
per day, record the frequency of exercise or compliance in their
diaries and bring these records to the researchers every visit.
Participants who exercised less than 3 days per week were
classified as having poor compliance, while good compliance
was defined as performing exercise at least 3 days per week.
In addition, the relationship between compliance with exercise
and balancing abilities were analyzed. According to the classification
of exercise compliance at 1-year follow up, subjects
who were categorized in the good compliance group had to
report good compliance at every visit; otherwise, they were
classified in the poor compliance group. Moreover, new falls
during the study period were also recorded prospectively in
their diaries. The factors related to falls were also analyzed.