The Effect of Body-Weight Squat Exercise on Increasing Lower-Limb Muscle Strength and Reducing the Risk of Falls in Elderly Women
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v8i2.735Keywords:
body-weight squat, elderly women, fall risk, muscle strengthAbstract
The decline in estrogen levels among elderly women leads to increased bone fragility and joint degeneration, making them more susceptible to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. One of the most serious consequences of reduced musculoskeletal function in older women is an increased vulnerability to falls. Therefore, to improve the quality of life of elderly women, it is essential to implement exercise programs that are easy to remember, simple to perform, safe, and feasible to conduct independently at home. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of body-weight squat exercises in improving lower limb muscle strength and reducing the risk of falls among elderly women. This study employed an experimental design using a randomized controlled trial with a pre-test and post-test control group design. A total of 30 elderly women participated as samples and were randomly assigned into two groups: the intervention group and the control group. Participants in the intervention group performed body-weight squat exercises for four weeks, with a training frequency of four times per week. Outcome measures included lower limb muscle strength, assessed using the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSTS), and fall risk, assessed using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Measurements were taken before and after the intervention. The study was conducted in Mengwi District, Badung Regency, Bali, from July to September 2025. Data were analyzed using SPSS, based on the pre-test and post-test measurements. The statistical analyses employed were the Paired Sample T-Test and the Independent Sample T-Test. The results demonstrated a significant increase in lower limb muscle strength (p = 0.000) and a significant reduction in fall risk (p = 0.000) in the intervention group, as analyzed using the Paired Sample T-Test. Performing body-weight squat exercises four times per week for four consecutive weeks effectively increases lower limb muscle strength, as measured by the FTSTS test, and reduces the risk of falls, as measured by the TUG test, among elderly women in Gulingan Village, Mengwi District.
References
Ariyanti, R., Sigit, N., & Marbun, R. (2023). Pengelolaan Data Screening Risiko Jatuh Pada Lansia. Selaparang: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Berkemajuan, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.31764/jpmb.v7i1.13019
Capanema B d S, Fank F, Machado Trento MC, Lima Costa D, Amaral da Rocha AR, Zarpellon Mazo G. Home-Based Exercise Programs for the Oldest-Old to Attenuate Physical Frailty: A Scoping Review. J Frailty Aging. 2024;13(4):369-383. doi: 10.14283/jfa.2024.41. PMID: 39574256.
Cho, M. R., Lee, S., & Song, S. K. (2022). A Review of Sarcopenia Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Future Direction. Journal of Korean Medical Science, 37(18). https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2022.37.e146
Cifu, D. X., Lew, H. L., & Oh-Park, M. (2018). Geriatric Rehabilitation. In Geriatric Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-54454-2.01001-3
Fujita, E., Takeshima, N., Kato, Y., Koizumi, D., Narita, M., Nakamoto, H., & Rogers, M. E. (2016). Effects of Body-weight Squat Training on Muscular Size, Strength and Balance Ability in Physically Frail Older Adults. International Journal of Sport and Health Science, 14(0). https://doi.org/10.5432/ijshs.201504
Hartinah, S., Pranata, L., & Koerniawan, D. (2019). Efektivitas Range of Motion (Rom) Aktif Terhadap Kekuatan Otot Ekstremitas Atas Dan Ekstremitas Bawah Pada Lansia. Publikasi Penelitian Terapan Dan Kebijakan, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.46774/pptk.v2i2.87
Liu, Z., Sawada, S., Deng, P., Naito, H., & Machida, S. (2025). Effect of Body-Weight-Based Resistance Training on Balance Ability and Fear of Falling in Community-Dwelling Older Japanese Women. Sports, 13(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13010008
Martins, A. D., Fernandes, O., Oliveira, R., Bilro, V., Lopes, G., Rego, A. M., Parraça, J. A., Raimundo, A. M. M., & Brito, J. P. (2022). Effects of exercise programs on phase angle in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. In Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Vol. 103). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2022.104787
Montero-Odasso, M., Van Der Velde, N., Martin, F. C., Petrovic, M., Tan, M. P., Ryg, J., Aguilar-Navarro, S., Alexander, N. B., Becker, C., Blain, H., Bourke, R., Cameron, I. D., Camicioli, R., Clemson, L., Close, J., Delbaere, K., Duan, L., Duque, G., Dyer, S. M., … Rixt Zijlstra, G. A. (2022). World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative. In Age and Ageing (Vol. 51, Issue 9). https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac205
Papadakis, Z., Stamatis, A., Almajid, R., Appiah-Kubi, K., Smith, M. L., Parnes, N., & Boolani, A. (2024). Addressing Biomechanical Errors in the Back Squat for Older Adults: A Clinical Perspective for Maintaining Neutral Spine and Knee Alignment. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 9(4), 224. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk9040224
Sadaqa, M., Németh, Z., Makai, A., Prémusz, V., & Hock, M. (2023). Effectiveness of exercise interventions on fall prevention in ambulatory community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review with narrative synthesis. In Frontiers in Public Health (Vol. 11). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1209319
Sartika, A., Elizabeth, B., & Armi. (2023). Resiko Jatuh Pada Lansia Di Rumah Sosial Lanjut Usia Teluk Jambe Karawang. Edu Dharma Journal: Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pengabdian Masyarakat, 07(01).
Vina Devi Kurniawati, & Widarti, R. (2023). Pengaruh Latihan Bodyweight Squat Terhadap Kekuatan Otot Tungkai Pada Lansia Wanita. Physio Journal, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.30787/phyjou.v3i2.971
Zeng, D., Ling, X. Y., Fang, Z. L., & Lu, Y. F. (2023). Optimal exercise to improve physical ability and performance in older adults with sarcopenia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Geriatric Nursing, 52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.06.005
Zhu TR, Xu HQ, Wei JP, Quan HL, Han XJ, Li TX, Shi JP. Effectiveness of exercise prescription variables to reduce fall risk among older adults: a meta-analysis. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. 2025 May 13;22(1):7. doi: 10.1186/s11556-025-00374-x. PMID: 40360991; PMCID: PMC12070723.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Indonesian Journal of Global Health Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
