The Training and Detraining Effects of 8 Weeks of Water Exercise on Obstacle Avoidance in Gait by the Elderly

[Purpose] This study aimed to provide useful information for fall prevention for the elderly by investigating how safely the elderly cross an obstacle after 8 weeks water exercise, and how much of the training effect remained 8 weeks after finishing the exercise. [Subjects] Eleven elderly participants participated in this study. [Methods] To identify the training and detraining effect of 8 weeks of water exercise, a 3-D motion analysis with 7 infrared cameras and one force plate, was performed. [Results] In most of all variables, statistically significant training and detraining effects at obstacle heights of 30% leg length were found. At obstacle heights of 40% leg length, statistically significant training effects were found but only improvement pattern of detraining effects were found for all variables. [Conclusion] The findings of this study indicate that 8 weeks of water exercise at the level of RPE 12–13 may help the elderly to safely cross obstacles at the most common height associated with falls (30% of leg length) for at least 8 weeks after training termination. The training effect, however, should not be expected to last for 8 weeks after the training at obstacle heights of 40% height of their leg length, which is a more difficult height for the elderly to cross.