Wheelchair-based New Millennium Health Gymnastics: Muscle Activity and Upper Limbs Coordination by Elbow Exercise Velocity

PURPOSE: This study concerns the wheelchair-based rehabilitation of elderly people, investigating muscle activity and coordination of upper limbs during wheelchair-based new millennium health gymnastics with varying elbow exercise velocity. METHODS: Twelve elderly people participated in new millennium gymnastics twice per week during 12-weeks. The group was separated into 0.4, 1.0, and 1.6 Hz groups (controlled by the metronome speed). Range of motion was measured by electrogoniometer, electromyography signals used root mean square values. The data application was normalized using reference voluntary contraction (%RVC). Upper limb (wrist and elbow joint) data gathered while standing up after the "falling on hips" was investigated in terms of coordination of angle-angle plots. One-way ANOVA, paired t-test and Scheffe`s post hoc comparisons, were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: There were results taken before and after the experiments. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the triceps brachii and flexor carpi radialis of the 0.4 Hz group (p