Neuromuscular Balance Exercise Effects in Overweight and Obese Individuals

January 20, 2026 updated by: M. Gulden Polat, Marmara University

Investigation of the Effectiveness of Neuromuscular Control-Based Exercises Combined With Aerobic and Strength Training Exercises on Balance in Overweight and Obese Individuals

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effects of adding neuromuscular balance exercises to exercise programs on functional capacity, balance, and physical fitness in individuals with obesity. Forty participants will be randomly assigned to either a control group receiving aerobic and strength training exercises or an intervention group receiving aerobic and strength training combined with neuromuscular balance exercises. Both exercise programs will be conducted three times per week for eight weeks. Functional capacity, balance, and physical fitness outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after the intervention period. The findings are expected to contribute to the integration of balance-focused exercises into rehabilitation programs for individuals with obesity.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This project will begin with initial assessments of volunteers to examine the effects of balance exercises on postural control and neuromuscular connections in obesity treatment. A multimodal exercise program (neuromuscular balance exercises, aerobic training, and resistance training) will be designed for individuals with obesity, and its effects on physical function, balance impairment, and weight management will be evaluated. In the first phase, participants' static and dynamic balance will be analyzed using clinical scales. In the second phase, an 8-week multimodal exercise program will be implemented, and the outcomes will be comparatively examined in relation to the weight loss process.

The study aims to provide scientific data to support the individualization of exercise programs by examining postural balance adaptations in response to changes in body composition during weight loss. The findings are expected to contribute to more comprehensive physical activity approaches in obesity management and to guide clinical applications.

This study adds a different perspective by evaluating the functional benefits of neuromuscular-based balance exercises in addition to traditional aerobic and strength training exercises. The assessment, conducted in individuals with obesity who have experienced weight loss, is expected to provide important findings for the interpretation and discussion of outcomes.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34672
        • Recruiting
        • Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Diabetes and Obesity Treatment Center
        • Contact:
          • Özden Ezgi E Üner, MD
          • Phone Number: +905323072789

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Volunteering to participate in the study
  • Having a BMI of 25-35 kg/m2
  • Not having undergone any surgical operation in the last 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any musculoskeletal disorder or systemic disease that would prevent exercise
  • Balance problems due to any disease that could prevent exercise
  • Psychiatric or neurological disease affecting cooperation and cognitive functions
  • Acute pain for any reason
  • Chest pain
  • History of myocardial infarction within the last year
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Patient's inability to adhere to treatment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Control group
Participants in the control group are individuals with obesity or overweight who receive a standardized exercise program that includes aerobic and strength training exercises. The program is performed three times per week over an eight-week period.
Behavioral: Aerobic and strength training
The aerobic and strength training program consists of supervised exercise sessions performed three days per week for eight weeks. Aerobic exercises are conducted at a moderate intensity, and strength training targets major muscle groups using body weight and resistance-based exercises. Each session is structured to include warm-up, main exercise components, and cool-down phases.
Experimental: Intervention group
Participants in the intervention group consist of individuals with obesity or overweight who receive the same aerobic and strength training program as the control group, with the addition of neuromuscular balance exercises. The intervention is performed three times per week for eight weeks.
Behavioral: Aerobic and strength training
The aerobic and strength training program consists of supervised exercise sessions performed three days per week for eight weeks. Aerobic exercises are conducted at a moderate intensity, and strength training targets major muscle groups using body weight and resistance-based exercises. Each session is structured to include warm-up, main exercise components, and cool-down phases.
Behavioral: Neuromuscular balance exercises
Neuromuscular balance exercises are added to the standard exercise program and are designed to improve postural control and balance. The exercises include progressive static and dynamic balance tasks and are performed three times per week for eight weeks under supervision.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dynamic Balance Performance (Four Step Square Test)
Time Frame: Baseline, at the 4th weeks and at the end of 8 weeks
Dynamic balance will be assessed using the Four Step Square Test, which measures the time (in seconds) required to complete a multidirectional stepping sequence.
Baseline, at the 4th weeks and at the end of 8 weeks
Postural Control (Functional Reach Test)
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Postural control will be evaluated using the Functional Reach Test, which measures the maximal forward reach distance (in centimeters) while maintaining a fixed base of support.
Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Walking Endurance (2-Minute Walk Test)
Time Frame: Baseline, at the 4th weeks and at the end of 8 weeks
Walking endurance will be assessed using the 2-Minute Walk Test, which measures the total distance walked in meters over a two-minute period.
Baseline, at the 4th weeks and at the end of 8 weeks
Lower Extremity Functional Strength (30-Second Chair Stand Test)
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Lower extremity functional strength will be evaluated using the 30-Second Chair Stand Test, which measures the number of full stands completed within 30 seconds.
Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Health-Related Quality of Life Assessed by the Short Form-12 (SF-12)
Time Frame: Baseline, at the 4th weeks and at the end of 8 weeks
Health-related quality of life will be evaluated using the Short Form-12 (SF-12) Health Survey, which assesses physical and mental health components.
Baseline, at the 4th weeks and at the end of 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Marmara University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Mine Gülden G Polat, PhD, Marmara University Faculty of Health Sciences

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 18, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 20, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 130.2024fbu

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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