Effects of the internal and external verbal-visual cues during mental training of walking on kinetics of lower extremity in inactive compared to active older adults

The purpose of the present study was to study of the effects of verbal-visual cues during mental training of walking on mechanical power of lower limbs muscles in inactive compared with active older adults. Therefore, 40 older adults aged 60-80 years (20 active and 20 inactive) were selected as purposive and participated in a pretest-posttest matched-groups design. After primary imagery training, participants were divided to 2 matched groups based on score of MIQ-RS and performed 2 sessions imagery of walking on balance beam with the verbal-visual cues about the movements of lower limbs or marks on balance beam. The cameras of motion analysis system and force plate were used to calculate the muscle power of lower limbs joints in pretest and posttest. According to the results of mixed 2-factor MANOVA, the main effect of test was significant for knee and hip joints (p.025). Thus, 5 sessions imagery increase the power of knee and hip muscles, but directing attention to internal and external verbal-visual cues do not make any difference.