January 2016 Participants Required for Study on the Efficacy of Pilates in Falls Prevention

NUI Galway is currently recruiting participants for a new study on the efficacy of Pilates in falls prevention in healthy older adults over 65 years old. The outcomes assessed will include questionnaires and tests of physical activity, balance, foot pressure, mobility, gait, cognition and falls.

One hour classes will take place in Áras Moyola twice weekly for three months with three participants in each class. There will be a total of 24 sessions for each group for the main study and participants are advised to wear comfortable clothes for exercises. There will be a further smaller study of 12 sessions for six weeks with two groups of four participants.  

Conducting the study is Larissa Donatoni da Silva, an NUI Galway PhD Health Science, physiotherapist and Pilates instructor. Larissa said: “Our study is looking at the effect that participating in Pilates has on balance, breathing, stretching, and coordination. In particular, we are interested in people over 65 years old, who enjoy doing exercises. We want to measure your level of function with questionnaires and tests so that we can compare it with people who are not practising Pilates.”

Participants will get a home Pilates exercise programme and a DVD with exercises demonstrated by the Pilates instructor.

The study is supervised by NUI Galway’s Professor Agnes Shiel and Professor Caroline McIntosh.

For more detail or to participate in the study contact Larissa Donatoni da Silva at 089 4592533, laridonatoni@gmail.com or l.donatonidasilva1@nuigalway.ie.

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