{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T06:21:43Z","timestamp":1791786103384,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,18]],"date-time":"2022-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1663459200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Minister of Science and Higher Education","award":["022\/RID\/2018\/19"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["022\/RID\/2018\/19"]}]},{"name":"Minister of Science and Higher Education","award":["No177\/BS\/KF\/2018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No177\/BS\/KF\/2018"]}]},{"name":"University of Physical Education","award":["022\/RID\/2018\/19"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["022\/RID\/2018\/19"]}]},{"name":"University of Physical Education","award":["No177\/BS\/KF\/2018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No177\/BS\/KF\/2018"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Backgrounds: As people age, they are more likely to experience balance disturbances. Pulmonary rehabilitation is recognized as a core component in the management of older adults with chronic respiratory diseases. The aim of the study was to assess the dynamic balance and chest mobility of older adults participating in speleotherapy combined with pulmonary rehabilitation, endurance and strength training. Methods: The study group consisted of 51 older adults with chronic respiratory disorders who participated in a 3-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme in underground salt chambers in the \u2018Wieliczka\u2019 Salt Mine Health Resort. These individuals underwent the Four Square Step Test (FSST) and circumferential chest mobility measurement before and after the outpatient rehabilitation programme conducted 135 m underground. Results: Before rehabilitation in the underground salt chambers, half of the results (50%, 22 patients) were below the norm in the assessment of chest mobility between maximal inhale and exhale. The average time needed to perform FSST decreased significantly (p \u2264 0.05) from 10.2 \u00b1 1.9 s before the stay to 9.1 \u00b1 1.7 s after the stay and the average increase in chest mobility increased significantly (p \u2264 0.05) from 4.5 \u00b1 5.5 cm to 5.4 \u00b1 2.8 cm. Conclusions: Speleotherapy combined with pulmonary rehabilitation, endurance and strength training increased the dynamic balance and chest mobility of older adults with chronic respiratory diseases, as measured by the FSST and circumferential chest expansion assessment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph191811760","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,18]],"date-time":"2022-09-18T23:39:22Z","timestamp":1663544362000},"page":"11760","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Dynamic Balance and Chest Mobility of Older Adults after Speleotherapy Combined with Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Endurance and Strength Training\u2014A Prospective Study in Chronic Respiratory Diseases"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9155-7880","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sylwia","family":"M\u0119tel","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Sciences, University of Physical Education in Krakow, 31-571 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Magdalena","family":"Kostrzon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u2018Wieliczka\u2019 Salt Mine Health Resort in Wieliczka, 32-020 Wieliczka, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2684-1927","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Justyna","family":"Adamiak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Sciences, University of Physical Education in Krakow, 31-571 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1309","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.00767.2019","article-title":"Postural control and perturbation response in aging populations: Fall risk implications","volume":"124","author":"Dominguez","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. 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