2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 45-52
Based on the statistics by Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, falls are the leading cause of occupational accidents. Since the launch of the fall prevention project in 2015, various measures, such as, improving safety in the workplace, have been promoted. However, the number of fall incidents at workplaces is not decreasing. As the working population is aging, fall incidents in older workers are prevailing. This study developed the new calisthenics for fall prevention in workers and the tools for dissemination, based on the literature and the expertise of the specialists in rehabilitation and occupational health fields. The calisthenics also include the movement targeting low back pain. In workers who performed the calisthenics, the scores of physical performance tests (one leg standing with eyes closed, 2-step test, and standing from a chair on one leg) increased, which inferred the improvement in balance, the range of motion of the lower limbs, and muscle strength of the lower limbs and trunk. The study results suggested that the calisthenics for fall prevention which target the individual risk factors for falls would be effective in improving the physical function of workers.