Four senior athletic training majors – Paige Albrecht of Marshfield, Danae Daellenbach of Stoughton, Rachel Popelka of Wausau and Cassandra Salmen of Stillwater, Minn. – created a program of exercises for 28 local senior citizens, ages 60-91, to perform twice a week for 30 minutes. The program included exercises that targeted muscles in the lower extremity and core such as marching, balance challenges, and standing abdominal crunches. Another group of seniors was told to not change their daily activities, and both groups were monitored throughout the study for balance and confidence. The participants held an iPad or iPhone, using an app that measured their sway.

 

At the end of six weeks, the exercise group saw improvements in their balance, while balance among the control group decreased slightly or remained the same.

 

The group will present this research in Madison next week for Posters in the Rotunda, an annual event where students across the UW System come to the state capitol to showcase their projects.

 

In addition to the research, the students worked with an age group with which they did not have much experience and did a wonderful job, said Holly Schmies, director of athletic training education. She and Beth Kinslow, an athletic training education adviser, assisted the students on the project.

 

“The students realized that research can serve multiple purposes -- creating evidence to support the profession while benefiting the community,” said Schmies. “It is our goal to continue to collaborate with the community to encourage individuals to stay active and prevent injury.”

 

“This project really opened my eyes to preventive medicine,” said Popelka. “As athletic trainers, we’ve learned what muscles work together, and how to strengthen them for daily living so you have less chance of injuries.”

 

Their advice for older adults is to keep moving, go for walks and stay active as a way to improve balance and keep muscles developing.

 

“When people think of athletic training, they think of a personal trainer in a gym or someone who only works with athletes,” said Salmen. “But we work with a lot of different populations.”

Albrecht agreed, having worked with a variety of people in a clinical experience. “We are seeing how these exercises are beneficial for older people,” she said, “and I will be able to incorporate them into my own work in the field.”

 

“Seeing different possibilities within athletic training is exciting for me,” said Daellenbach.

 

The research was also exciting for members of the exercise group, including Susan and Bob DeMuth of Plover. The couple said that the exercises made them more aware of the importance of good balance as they get older.

 

“It was so great to be able to help the students with this project,” said Susan. “We had fun, and plan on continuing some of the exercises. You can always stand on one leg while you’re washing dishes or at the checkout counter.”

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