The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy · Oct 31, 2026
Changes in Balance, Functional Mobility, and Muscle Function Following a Multiplanar Weight-Bearing Exercise Program in Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus: A Preliminary Study
By Baek J, Suh HR
Purpose: This preliminary study examined the pre-to postintervention changes in balance, functional mobility, and muscle function following a six-week multiplanar weight-bearing exercise program in older adults with diabetes mellitus.Methods: Nine community-dwelling adults aged 70 years or older with diabetes participated in a single-group pretest-posttest study.The program was conducted three times per week for six weeks, with each 40-minute session consisting of a warm-up, main exercise, and cool-down.The main exercises included squats, pelvic drops, single-leg stance, and multidirectional lunges, with progressive increases in exercise volume and difficulty.The outcomes included the one-leg standing test, Timed Up and Go test (TUG), bilateral grip strength, and 30-second chair stand test.The pre-and postintervention values were compared using paired-samples t-tests.Results: The TUG time decreased significantly from 9.09± 1.32 to 7.95± 1.17 s (p= 0.009), and 30-second chair stand repetitions increased significantly from 13.33 ± 2.72 to 18.56 ± 2.23 reps (p< 0.001).No significant changes were observed in the one-leg standing time (p= 0.416), right grip strength (p= 0.053), or left grip strength (p= 0.116).Conclusion: Significant pre-to postintervention changes were observed in the functional mobility and functional lower-extremity performance following the six-week multiplanar weight-bearing exercise program, whereas the static balance and grip strength did not change significantly.These findings should be interpreted as preliminary within-group changes rather than causal effects of the intervention because of the small sample size and absence of a control group f.