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Tai Chi Study Very Positive For Elderly PractitionersAnonymous newspaper source TAIWAN - Exercise physiologists in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at National Taiwan University Hospital and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei studied the effects of a yang style tai chi chuan (TCC) program on the fitness of older individuals. Previous studies have shown that tai chi can improve balance and coordination and decrease the frequency of falls in the elderly. This latest study, however, is among the first to demonstrate a significant increase in measured aerobic capacity in this population. Tai chi, with its gentle and graded intensity, may be an ideal form of exercise for older persons. 38 community dwelling people ages 58 to 70 completed the study. The tai chi group consisted of nine men and 11 women; the control group included nine men and nine women. The exercise group practiced tai chi three to five times a week for approximately a year. Each session included a 20 minute warm-up, 24 minutes of tai chi practice and a 10 minute cool down. Each tai chi set included 108 postures. The exercise intensity was 52 to 63% of heart rate maximum. Cardiorespiratory function (V02 max), thoracic/lumbar flexibility, knee extensor and knee flexor strength, and percent body fat (%BF) were evaluated at the start and end of the study. Among the men in the tai chi group, V02 max increased by 16. 1 % (p <0.0 I ), thoracic/ lumbar flexibility increased by I I degrees (p <0.05), knee‑extensor strength increased by 18.1 percent (p <0.01) and knee flexor strength increased by 15.4% (p <0.05). Among the women in the tai‑chi group, V02 max increased by 21.3% (p <0.01), thoracic/lumbar flexibility increased by 8.8 degrees (p <0.05), knee extensor strength increased by 20.3% (p <0.05) and knee flexor strength increased by 15.9% (p <0.05). Changes in body fat percentages were not significant for either men or women in the tai‑chi group. Members of the control group showed no significant changes in any of the variables measured. The researchers concluded that a 12 month tai‑chi program provides fitness benefits for the elderly. The results were published in the Medicine Science in Sports & Exercise Journal as "12 Month Training in the Elderly: Its Effect on Health Fitness." The report suggested that interested participants should learn directly from knowledgeable and credentialed tai‑chi instructors, rather than using only video or text instruction.
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