The performance of balance exercises during daily tooth brushing is not sufficient to improve balance and muscle strength in healthy older adults

Table 2 Protocol of the eight weeks balance exercise program for the intervention group conducted twice daily during tooth brushing routines

Balance exercise protocol
Exercises	• Step stance (week 1: on stable surface [i.e., floor], week 2: on unstable surface [i.e., rolled up towel]) • Tandem stance (week 3: on stable surface, week 4: on unstable surface [i.e., rolled up towel]) • One-legged stance^a (weeks 5 & 6: on stable surface, weeks 7 & 8: on unstable surface [i.e., rolled up towel])
Training load	• 8 weeks • 7 days per week • 2 sessions per day (i.e., in the morning and the evening) • 3 min per session
Progression during training	• Continuous reduction in base of support (i.e., from step over tandem to one-legged stance) and inclusion of an unstable element (i.e., rolled up towel)

^aParticipants were instructed to use the dominant leg first and to switch to the non-dominant leg as they felt safe and comfortable to do so. Given that participants concurrently brushed their teeth and performed balance exercises, the applied exercise program can be considered a dual-task program including a primary balance task and a secondary motor interference task (i.e., brushing teeth)

ISSN: 1471-2318