Abstract No: 326 Effectiveness of Walking Meditation on Balance and Quality of Life in Older Adults: A Pilot Study
Prachi Shah
Journal of Society of Indian Physiotherapists 2025 DOI: 10.4103/jsip.jsip_2025_vol_abstract_s53 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Older adults aged 65 to 74 |
| Intervention | Walking meditation |
| Dose | 30 minutes, 3 days per week |
| Duration | 4-week program |
| Measures | Unipedal Stance Test, Timed Up and Go Test, WHO Quality of Life-BREF |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Walking meditation significantly improved balance and quality of life in older adults, with significant gains in eyes-open static balance, dynamic balance, and three quality-of-life domains, but not in eyes-closed balance or the physical health domain. |
Abstract
Purpose: This study addresses the growing population of older adults facing increased fall risk and declining quality of life due to balance impairments. Traditional physiotherapy often overlooks holistic well-being, including mental and emotional health. Walking meditation, which combines walking and mindfulness, may enhance balance by promoting body awareness and coordination while also improving mental well-being. Despite its potential, research on the specific benefits of walking meditation for older adults, particularly regarding balance and quality of life, is limited. This pilot study aims to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of this intervention as a cost-effective and integrative approach to improving the well-being of older adults.
Participants: Ten older adults participated (aged from 65 to 74) in a 4-week walking meditation program.
Method: Walking Meditation was practiced by patients for 30 minutes and 3 days per week. The Unipedal Stance Test and Timed Up and Go Test were used to evaluate static and dynamic balance, while the WHO Quality of Life-BREF assessed quality of life outcomes. Analysis: Data analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk and Mann-Whitney U-tests revealed significant improvements in balance.
Results: The Unipedal Stance Test showed a p-value of 0.0013 (eyes open) and 0.162 (eyes closed), while the Timed Up and Go Test indicated significant improvement (p = 0.0131). In the WHO Quality of Life-BREF, Domains 2, 3, and 4 showed significant p-values of 0.0013, 0.0183, and 0.0021, respectively. Unipedal stance test with eyes closed and Domain 1 of who quality of life – bref does not show any significance.
Conclusion: Walking meditation significantly improves balance and quality of life in older adults, suggesting an effective intervention for enhancing stability and overall well-being.
Implications: Integrating walking meditation into physiotherapy can enhance balance, quality of life and reduce fall risk.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |