Introduction: Adequate balance is not only important for maintaining stability, but it also enables safe movement during activities of daily life. Slacklining includes maintaining balance during various tasks on a flat nylon rope that is clamped between two strong support points. It offers many options for increasing the difficulty level, and a wide range of movement patterns can be learnt on it. Aim: The aim of this thesis was to ascertain whether a four-week slackline training program can influence the improvement of balance in healthy young adults, and if the improvement of balance is task-specific. Methods: A four-week slackline training program was carried out with 15 subjects between the ages of 18 and 28. In this period, each subject participated in 12 sessions. Before and in the end of the program, the ability of keeping balance during four balancing exercises was measured: three exercises included standing on the dominant leg on the force plate; one exercise included standing on the dominant leg on the slackline while an accelerometer was attached to the subjects' ankles. Results: After a four-week slackline training program, no statistically significant improvement of the dominant-leg balancing time (p>0,05) was noted under any test conditions in exercises that included standing on the force plate. No statistically significant difference was noted in movement of the centre of pressure on the force plate. A statistically significant improvement (p=0,003) was noted in keeping balance on the dominant leg on the slackline. A decrease of acceleration on the support leg while on slackline was noted (p=0,023). Discussion and Conclusion: A task-specific improvement of balance after a four-week slackline training program was determined. New research shows that the subjects increasingly rely on free body segments for keeping balance during slackline training sessions. Most studies that study the effect of slackline training on balance use tests that require the subjects to hold their arms statically. Thus, further research on the influence of the slackline workout on balance that includes dynamic tests with subjects' free arm movement is needed.
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