Objective: Regular and group exercise helps older women maintain function, independence, and prevent falls. However, data on the long-term effects of structured community exercise programs remain limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an eight-month exercise program on balance, mobility, trunk flexibility, handgrip strength, body mass index (BMI), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in women Design and method: Prospective interventional study with paired baseline and 8-month assessments. Outcomes included balance, mobility, trunk flexibility, handgrip strength, body mass, systolic blood pressure, and body mass index. Skewed variables were analyzed using paired Wilcoxon tests and body mass index using a paired t-test Results: A total of 86 women (mean age 72.9 years) participated in the group exercise. After 8 months of participation, results showed improved balance: median Romberg increased from 7.69 to 9.83 seconds; Hodges-Lehmann change +1.41 seconds (95% CI +0.71 to +2.00); p 0.05). Conclusions: An eight-month exercise programe led to significant improvements in balance, mobility, flexibility, and handgrip strength, while BM, SBP, and BMI remained unchanged. These findings support continuous, structured exercise as a practical strategy for improving functional capacity and reducing fall risk in women, even without weight loss. Our results should be confirmed in large sample and longer follow-up period.
Bilajac et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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