Physical and social activity can influence positively the effects of ageing. This study examined differences in balance, physical activity and social integration between everyday active, sportive or dancing 60- to 80-year-old people in Lower Austria.
We recruited 50 seniors with a mean age of 66.8 ± 4.2 years for this cross-sectional study. 13 people were active everyday, 21 were sportive on a weekly basis and 16 were “Seniorentanz” dancers. We blindly assessed balance (MiniBESTest), mobility (Timed Up and Go), and muscular endurance of knee extensors, hip abductors, and plantar flexors. Questionnaires identified physical activity (IPAQ-SF) and social integration (LSNS-6). The analysis of group differences was carried out descriptively and via ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis H test.
People who were regularly active in senior dance showed 5.5 points significantly higher balance ability in the MiniBESTest than those who were otherwise sportive (
The small sample, the heterogeneity of the participants and differences in the contextual conditions of the measurements limit the validity of the results of this study. The results of this Lower Austrian sample could indicate differences in balance and physical activity between everyday active, sportive or dancing ageing people.