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Foot Strengthening to Improve Balance and Gait in Older Adults
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether different foot-strengthening strategies can improve foot strength, balance, walking ability, and fall-related outcomes in middle-aged and older adults (ages 45-85 years). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does foot strength change from baseline after an 8-week foot-strengthening intervention? * Do balance, gait, and physical function improve following different foot-strengthening approaches? Researchers will compare minimalist footwear use, a foot exercise program, a foot-strengthening device (ToePro), and no intervention to see if these interventions lead to greater improvements in foot strength, balance, gait, and fall-related outcomes than no intervention. Participants will: * Complete baseline and post-intervention laboratory testing of foot strength, balance, physical function, and walking gait * Perform foot strengthening exercises or wear minimalist footwear (if applicable) five days/week for eight weeks * Complete daily logs to record intervention compliance
Details
| Lead sponsor | Indiana University |
|---|---|
| Phase | NA |
| Status | RECRUITING |
| Enrolment | 160 |
| Start date | Thu Jan 01 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) |
| Completion | Wed Jun 30 2027 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) |
Conditions
- Minimalist Footwear
- Traditional Foot Exercise Program
- Foot Strengthening Device (ToePro)
- Control Condition
Interventions
- Minimalist footwear
- Foot strengthening exercises
- ToePro foot strengthening device
Countries
United States