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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week Taekwondo (TKD) intervention on balance in children with autism spec-trum disorder (ASD). A total of 14 children with ASD participated in this study. Eight children (eight males; mean age, 10.25±2.38 yr) completed TKD intervention (50 min/2 times/8 week), and six children received no intervention serving as controls (five males, one female; mean age, 10.00±2.83 yr). A computed posturography system with a long forceplate (NeuroCom Balance Master) was used to evaluate static (double and single leg stance with various test conditions) and functional balance (step-quick-turn). Balance was measured before and after the intervention. A mixed-model analysis of variance showed a significant group by time interaction in single leg stance balance. After the intervention, the TKD group displayed a greater improvement in single leg stance balance with eyes closed condition than the control group (P=0.046). Within-group analysis showed that the TKD group significantly improved single leg stance balance with eyes open condition (P=0.014). In addition, TKD group displayed trends of improvements in double leg stance balance with unstable surface under eyes closed condition (ES=0.83) and step-quick-turn (Cohen d [ES]=0.70). The control group did not show any significant changes in balance outcomes. In conclusion, TKD training can help children with ASD improve their balance. Children with ASD also showed a high rate of adherence (92%) to the TKD training. Our findings suggest that TKD can be a fun, feasible, and effective therapeutic option for balance improvement of children with ASD.

This study demonstrated a decreased metabolic cost when ATW at matched speeds to that of OTW. Reduced metabolic cost during ATW may allow for longer durations of treadmill-induced gait training compared with OTW for improved outcomes. This knowledge may aid clinicians when prescribing aquatic treadmill exercise for people post-stroke with goals of improving gait and functional mobility. However, decreased metabolic cost during ATW suggests that to improve cardiovascular fitness, ATW may not be a time-efficient method of cardiovascular exercise for healthy adults and people post-stroke.

The purpose of this study was to investigate kinematic and spatiotemporal variables of aquatic treadmill walking at three different water depths. A total of 15 healthy individuals completed three two-minute walking trials at three different water depths. The aquatic treadmill walking was conducted at waist-depth, chest-depth and neck-depth, while a customised 3-D underwater motion analysis system captured their walking. Each participant's self-selected walking speed at the waist level was used as a reference speed, which was applied to the remaining two test conditions. A repeated measures ANOVA showed statistically significant differences among the three walking conditions in stride length, cadence, peak hip extension, hip range of motion (ROM), peak ankle plantar flexion and ankle ROM (All p values < 0.05). The participants walked with increased stride length and decreased cadence during neck level as compared to waist and chest level. They also showed increased ankle ROM and decreased hip ROM as the water depth rose from waist and chest to the neck level. However, our study found no significant difference between waist and chest level water in all variables. Hydrodynamics, such as buoyancy and drag force, in response to changes in water depths, can affect gait patterns during aquatic treadmill walking.

Our results indicate people post-stroke can sustain sufficient walking intensities necessary to reduce BP following cardiovascular exercise. Also, these data suggest that ATW can elicit clinically meaningful reductions in DBP and night-time SBP. Thus, it is recommended for clinicians to consider ATW as a non-pharmaceutical means to regulate DBP and promote nighttime dipping of SBP in people post-stroke. However, caution is advised during the immediate hours after exercise, a period of possible BP inflation.

Objective The purpose of this study was to analyse kinematic and spatiotemporal gait characteristics of aquatic treadmill walking among three different depths of water in individuals with traumatic brain injury. Methods A total of 13 individuals with traumatic brain injury participated in the study and completed walking trials at three different depths as follows: waist, chest, and neck level, which was adjusted by a movable floor pool. A self‐selected comfortable walking speed at the waist level was used as a matched speed for all walking trials. Participants completed three aquatic treadmill walking trials under each of the three water depths. Each participant's gait was captured by a customized underwater motion analysis system and processed by a two‐dimensional motion analysis software. Results The repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant differences in spatiotemporal and joint kinematic variables across three conditions: stance swing ratio (p = .023), peak hip flexion (p = .001), hip range of motion (p = .047), and peak ankle dorsiflexion (p = .000). Various water properties in conjunction with motor impairments might have contributed to alterations in gait kinematics. Conclusion Our findings suggest that walking in neck‐depth water may not be ideal for gait training as it appears to limit hip flexion and ankle dorsiflexion. It is recommended that waist to chest‐depth water be used to provide an accommodating environment for aquatic gait rehabilitation.

The results suggest that the use of additional weight can be helpful if the goal of gait training is to improve walking speed of people post-stroke during pool floor walking. However, it is interesting to note that changes in gait variables were not found in the paretic limb where favourable responses were expected to occur.

The purposes of this study were to examine the consistency of wheelchair athletes’ upper-limb kinematics in consecutive propulsive cycles and to investigate the relationship between the maximum angular velocities of the upper arm and forearm and the consistency of the upper-limb kinematical pattern. Eleven elite international wheelchair racers propelled their own chairs on a roller while performing maximum speeds during wheelchair propulsion. A Qualisys motion analysis system was used to film the wheelchair propulsive cycles. Six reflective markers placed on the right shoulder, elbow, wrist joints, metacarpal, wheel axis, and wheel were automatically digitized. The deviations in cycle time, upper-arm and forearm angles, and angular velocities among these propulsive cycles were analyzed. The results demonstrated that in the consecutive cycles of wheelchair propulsion the increased maximum angular velocity may lead to increased variability in the upper-limb angular kinematics. It is speculated that this increased variability may be important for the distribution of load on different upper-extremity muscles to avoid the fatigue during wheelchair racing.