Benefits of the huber® in the elderly

From de expert: dr markovic,

Ageing is associated with a decline in physical functions that leads to the development of disabilities. Better posture and muscle building can address these age-related deteriorations that increase the risk of falls and injuries. To preserve and improve these functions, it is therefore necessary to work on balance, the strength of the trunk and the extremities in the elderly. It should be remembered that falls are the leading cause of injury death among adults over 65 years of age and the most common cause of non-fatal injuries and orthopedic hospitalisations. With this in mind, Dr Marković conducted and published a study comparing HUBER® with the Pilates method on the balance, neuromuscular
function and body composition of elderly people.

Who is dr marković?

Dr Marković is the co-founder and director of a centre of excellence in the field of optimised health, fitness and performance in Zagreb, Croatia. Together with his associates, he conducts research on the functioning and transformation of the human neuromuscular system in order to increase knowledge about optimising sports performance and on preventing and rehabilitating after injuries and painful syndromes. He has published about 70 original articles in leading international scientific journals.

Dr marković carried out a study with huber®

In this study, he recruited 34 women with an average age of 70 and randomly assigned them to a HUBER® group (n = 17) or a Pilates group (n = 17). Both groups trained for eight weeks, three times a week (24 sessions in total). Various parameters were measured before and after each training program, including leg strength and power, upper body strength, static balance, body composition (% body fat) and the ability to balance in single and double tasks. The latter was assessed in a semi-tandem standing position, with the dominant foot in front, three times for 30 seconds. The double task was to add a count back by 3 from 300 (i.e. 297, 294, etc.).

What were the results

The main conclusion of this study is that the HUBER® is more effective than the Pilates method in improving balance, trunk strength (+30%) and lower limb strength (+13%) in the elderly subjects who were tested. Significant improvements were noted for balance in the single (+6.4%) and double task (+10.5%) in the HUBER® group as well as a reduction in body fat percentage
(Before HUBER®: 39.7 / After HUBER®: 35.4). HUBER® is therefore a beneficial tool for preventing the risk of falls in the elderly by acting positively on functional deteriorations related to ageing, such as loss of balance and muscle weakness.

Source: Effects of feedback-based balance and core resistance training vs. Pilates training on cognitive
functions in older women with mild cognitive impairment: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
Greblo Jurakic Z, Krizanic V, Sarabon N, Markovic G. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2017 Mar 1.