Fighting Falls Webinar – Using Modified Taekwondo Exercises to Improve the Health of Older Australians
Improving the functional fitness of Older Australians (over 65) is a focus area of exercise physiologists particularly with an ageing population.
Australian Taekwondo launched a program using modified Taekwondo to improve the health of older Australians to be delivered by Taekwondo instructors and Allied Health Practioners. The program was initiated nationwide with a focus on collecting clinical testing outcome measures to demonstrate its impact as well as parterning with Southern Corss University to undergo two research interventions over 6 and 12 weeks using the program. The research interventions looked at measures of functional fitness including the finger-to-nose test, forward reach test, timed up and go test, 30-second sit-to-stand test, 30-second arm curl test, Chester step test, chair sit-and-reach test, and back scratch test.
The webinar will contain how the program was developed from an exercise prescription and clinical lens, learnings from the implementation of the program, benefits of using Taekwondo as opposed to more traditional methods of exercise and outcomes of the research interventions.