Walking meditation promotes ankle proprioception and balance performance among elderly women.
Journal of bodywork and movement therapies July 1, 2019 Apsornsawan Chatutain, Jindarut Pattana, Tunyakarn Parinsarum et al.
An 8-week walking meditation program improved ankle proprioception and balance in elderly women. Fifty-eight women (average age 69) were randomly assigned to walking meditation or a control group. The meditation group practiced 30 minutes daily, three days per week. After training, they showed reduced ankle reposition error (from 4.2° to 2.4°) and improved scores on the Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, and Timed Up and Go test. The control group showed no change in ankle error and worsened balance measures. The authors suggest walking meditation may serve as an alternative training to promote balance and proprioception in older adults.