Vasileios Tsimaras

The Effect of a Traditional Dance Training Program on Dynamic Balance of Individuals With Mental Retardation

Tsimaras, VK, Giamouridou, GA, Kokaridas, DG, Sidiropoulou, MP, and Patsiaouras, AI. The effect of a traditional dance training program on dynamic balance of individuals with mental retardation. J Strength Cond Res 26(1): 192–198, 2012—The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of a Greek traditional dance training program on the dynamic balance of individuals with mental retardation (MR). A total of 17 individuals participated in this study. Ten individuals with mild or moderate MR and 7 individuals with mild or moderate MR who studied in special schools were assigned to intervention (MR-I) and control (MR-C) groups, respectively. Pretraining and posttraining exercise tests were performed to determine the dynamic balance ability. Dynamic balance ability was measured by means of a balance deck (Lafayette, Lafayette, IN, USA) in 30-, 45-, and 60-second intervals. The MR-I group underwent a 16-week Greek traditional dance training program at a frequency of 3 times per week and for a duration of 45 minutes per season. Posttraining results showed that the individuals with MR in the MR-I group improved during treatment, from their baseline scores on dynamic balance measurements (30 seconds: p < 0.01, 45 seconds: p < 0.05, 60 seconds: p < 0.05). The MR-C group did not show any improvement between the 2 measurements. In conclusion, individuals with MR may be able to improve their dynamic balance when performing a systematic and well-designed Greek traditional dance training program.

The effect of a traditional dance training program on the physical fitness of adults with hearing loss.

Tsimaras, VK, Kyriazis, DA, Christoulas, KI, Fotiadou, EG, Kokaridas, DG, and Angelopoulou, NA. The effect of a traditional dance training program on the physical fitness of adults with hearing loss. J Strength Cond Res 24(4): 1052-1058, 2010-The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a traditional dance training program on aerobic capacity and muscle strength of adults with hearing loss. Twenty-three adults with hearing loss were separated into 2 groups. Thirteen subjects (6 men, 7 women, mean age, 25.7 ± 3.9 years) constituted the intervention group, whereas 10 subjects (5 men, 5 women, mean age, 26.4 ± 5.9 years) formed the control group. Pretraining and posttraining treadmill tests were performed to determine heart rate (HR peak), peak minute ventilation (&OV0312;E peak), peak oxygen consumption (&OV0312;O2 peak, absolute and relative), and time to exhaustion (min). Peak torque of hamstring and quadriceps muscles at angular velocities of 60°/s−1, 180°/s−1, and 300°/s−1 was also measured. The intervention group followed a 12-week traditional dance training program, whereas the control group received no training during this period. Repeated measures of multiple analyses of variance were used to test mean differences between the values of both groups. A paired t-test was used to compare the values within each group prior and after program participation. A significance level of 0.05 was used for all tests. Following the 12-week training program, significant improvements in peak physiological parameters were seen for the intervention group for peak minute ventilation, peak oxygen consumption (both absolute and relative), time to exhaustion, and peak torque values between the 2 measurements (initial and final). No significant improvements in peak physiological parameters and peak torque were noticed in the control group. In conclusion, adults with hearing loss can improve their physical fitness levels with the application of a systematic and well-designed traditional dance training program.