• Ward J
• Farrar K
• Pourmoghaddam A
• Kreuzer S
• Samani A
• Green C

• Accidental Falls / prevention and control
• Adult
• Aged
• Exercise Therapy
• Hip
• Open Access Document
• Osteoarthritis, Hip / therapy
• Pelvis

Background: The Laser Gym® device is a product that is designed to have participants engage in hip-related exercises to improve hip flexibility and strength.

Purpose: This study was designed to determine the impact training with the Laser Gym® device had on limits of stability, functional mobility, standing balance, and gait of older females.

Methods: Fifty healthy females over the age of 60 engaged in a baseline Functional Reach Test (FRT), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, measurement of single and double leg stance test, and a 90-second walking kinematic analysis. Following this, participants were divided into the two following groups: 1) Laser Gym® training group for three weeks at nine 15-min total training sessions or 2) no training control group. All participants then underwent similar post-intervention balance and gait coordination measurements. Pre- versus post-intervention data were analyzed by a statistician blinded to group assignment. Within-groups data were analyzed with a paired samples t-test.

Results: After using the Laser Gym® device for 3 weeks participants were able to reach 1.5 inches farther during the FRT than they could at baseline (p= 0.000). Conclusions: Preliminarily the results suggest that the action of the pelvic exercises performed using the Laser Gym® device may marginally improve limits of stability of older women. The implications of repeated training on the Laser Gym® device compared to other fall prevention training programs on fall incidence are unclear.

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