Effect of Foot Exercise on Lower Limb Strength and Balance Among Elderly: Basis for a Health Education Program

Abstract

The primary aim of this study was to determine the effects of foot exercise (senam kakidiabetes) on lower limb strength and balance among the elderly. A quasi-experimentalinterrupted time-series design with control group was utilized. Participants were chosenthrough purposive sampling technique. Consequently, 60 participants met the criteria set forthe study. Simple random sampling was used to divide the participants into experimental andcontrol groups with 30 participants in each group. The result shows that foot exercise waseffective in improving lower limb strength and balance of the elderly. Lower limb strengthand balance of the participants in the experimental group gradually improved in every week ofintervention compared to those in the control group. Further, the result shows that age, sex,and body weight did not affect the lower limb strength and balance of the elderly whounderwent foot exercise.