Table 2 Conventional physical therapy. 8-week physical therapy protocol, twice a week

First–second

Increase speed of execution from a comfortable speed to a fast speed.

From sitting, get up and walk in an 8-m track, make the turn to the “U” (1 m), and walk diagonally to sit on the next chair.

Get up from the chair and walk to the “U,” go around it and sit on the next chair. Start by performing at comfortable speed, with each command increasing speed (“a little faster”/“fast”/“as fast as you can without running”).

The “U” will decrease (1 m–80 cm pivot), and the height of the chair (50 cm–45 cm–40 cm). Every three repetitions of the circuit will be given the command to increase the speed.

Third–fourth

Develop the ability to adapt gait and sit and lift to different sensory contexts.

From sitting, get up and walk 8 m (passing and skirting obstacles, through narrow spaces of 60 cm, holding objects and etc.) to the “U” (80 cm), skirt and sit on the next chair.

Get up, walk, go through the challenges encountered along the circuit until you reach the “U,” go around it, and return to sit on the next chair.

The “U” will decrease (80 cm–60 cm pivot) and the height of the chair (45 cm–40 cm bench). Obstacles will grow taller and narrower; the spaces will rise to 50 cm, and they will exchange objects between them during the gait.

Fifth–sixth

Develop the ability to adapt gait and sit and lift to different sensory contexts under conflicting situations of double task.

From sitting, get up and walk 8 m under the same challenges of the previous week, but under more conflicting stimuli (talk during the task, different speeds, stop abruptly, traffic signal).

Get up, walk, go through the challenges encountered along the circuit until you reach the “U,” go around it, and sit on the next chair. I will post different conflicting situations in the course of the exercise.

Pivot at all ends and the height of the chair will continue from 45 cm–40 cm bench. The progression will be made in the following order: noise in the room, talk during the task, different speeds, stop abruptly, and traffic signal.

Seventh–eighth

Increase running speed of the walking circuit and sit and lift in different sensory contexts and conflicting situations (≤ 3 s from first to last lap).

From sitting, get up and walk by 8 m under the same challenges of the previous week, but under more conflicting stimuli (talk during the task, different speeds, stop abruptly, traffic signal).

Get up, walk, go through the challenges of the circuit until you reach the “U,” go around it, and sit on the next chair. I will post different conflicting situations during the exercise and every three laps I will ask you to increase the speed (“a little faster”/“fast”/“as fast as you can without running”).

The progression will continue the same as the previous week, but the increase speed command will be added every three repetitions of the circuit.