Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background and Purpose
Interventions to enhance tactile sensitivity, such as warming the feet, positively affect skin sensitivity with varying influence on postural control. Here, we hypothesize that foot warming may benefit tactile sensitivity and postural control in older adults, particularly those with obesity.
Methods
Fifty participants divided into 16 middle‐aged adults (14 women, mean ± standard deviation: age 40.29 ± 3.73 years, body mass index, BMI, 24.51 ± 1.70 kg/m
2
), 17 non‐obese older adults (12 women, 72.71 ± 6.36 years, BMI 25.09 ± 2.84 kg/m
2
), and 17 obese older adults (13 women, 69.59 ± 7.19 years, BMI 32.65 ± 6.31 kg/m
2
) were evaluated for foot tactile sensitivity and center of pressure (CoP) displacement during natural and semi‐tandem stance before and after a warming protocol increasing foot skin temperature by approximately 6°C.
Results
Acute foot warming consistently enhanced plantar tactile sensitivity across adulthood and aging, with the largest improvements observed in obese older adults. In contrast, effects on postural control were limited.
Discussion
Consistent with previous studies, we found that foot warming acutely enhances plantar tactile sensitivity across adulthood and aging, with novelty and larger sensory benefits observed in obese older adults. However, improvements in postural control were not identified across different postural tasks. These findings identify foot warming as a simple strategy to acutely enhance plantar sensory function, particularly in older adults with obesity.