Effect of an 8-Week Internet-Based Aerobic Exercise on the Balance of Older Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Aims The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the physical activity of the elderly because these restrictions have forced them to stay at home. This study aims to investigate the effect of eight weeks of Internet-based aerobic exercise on static and dynamic balance of older women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The study population consists of all older women in Kermanshah, Iran. Thirty inactive older women participated in the study voluntarily and were randomly divided into exercise and control groups. Static and dynamic balance of participants was measured using stork balance test and timed up and go test, respectively before and after the training protocol. The exercise group performed aerobic exercises provided to them via the Internet on their smartphones, for 8 weeks, three sessions per week. In order to increase the training intensity, the number of movements and repetitions were gradually increased such that the rhythm of aerobic exercises increased from 40 beats per minute to 90 beats per minute in last session. Paired t-test and analysis of covariance in SPSS v. 23 software were used to analyze the data. Results The balance changes from pretest to post-test phase were significant in the exercise group, but not significant in the control group. The internet-based aerobic exercise had a significant effect on static and dynamic balance of older women (P=0.001). Conclusion Performing aerobic exercises provided via the Internet on smartphones can improve the static and dynamic balance of older women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is recommended that older women use Internet-based aerobic exercises to improve their balance skills during the pandemic.