Benefits of an 8-form Tai Chi Training Exercise on Balance Performance, Falling Risk, and Muscle Strengths in Elderly with Limited Strength: A Feasibility Study

Authors

  • Jarinee Jiraphan Technopreneurship and Innovation Management Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • Praneet Pensri Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • Pakpachong Vadhanasin Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • Chaipat Lawsirirat Faculty of Sports Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24203/ajas.v7i3.5869

Keywords:

Tai Chi, balance, ageing, fear of falling, muscle strength

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an 8-form Tai Chi training exercise on balance performance, falling risk, and muscle strengths in elderly with limited strength. Twenty-six females between 70-85 years old with balance problem and moderate lower extremity muscular strengths (grade 2+ to 3+) without prior Tai Chi training volunteered for the study. The participants underwent the 8-form Tai Chi training exercise for 45 minutes/session, 3 sessions a week for 12 weeks. Balance performance (m-CTSIB, Postural Stability Balance Test, and 8-foot up-and-go Test), falling risk (Fall Risk Overall Stability Test and Fear of Falling Assessment), and muscle strengths (30-second Chair Stand Test and Pressure Biofeedback Unit Test) were assessed during pretest, mid-test, and post-test. One-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted at the significant level of 0.05. The results after 6 weeks of training showed that balance and falling risk were improved where 8 foot up-and-go test and fear of falling assessment were significantly better than pre-experiment, while after 12 weeks, balance, falling risk, and lower extremity muscular strengths were significantly improved when compared to the pre-experiment. The 12-week 8-form Tai Chi training exercise was safe and effective in improving balance, falling risk, and lower extremity muscular strengths in ageing people with limited strengths.

References

Liu JYW, Kwan RYC, Lai CK, Hill KD, “A simplified 10-step Tai-chi programme to enable people with dementia to improve their motor performance: a feasibility studyâ€, Clin Rehabil, vol. 32, no. 12, pp.:1609-1623, 2018.

Jie Z, Huang L, Wu Y, Zhang Y, “The effectiveness of a combined exercise intervention on physical fitness factors related to falls in community-dwelling older adults†Clin Interv Aging, vol. 9, pp. 131-40, 2014.

Brad M, Matt L, Margaret MG, Adrienne C, Peter MW, Lewis AL, “Functional benefits of tai chi training in senior housing facilitiesâ€, J Am Geriatr Soc, vol. 62, No.8, pp. :1484-1489, 2014.

Del PC, E Obrero G, Lomas V, “The Effect of Tai Chi on Reducing the Risk of Falling: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysisâ€, Am J Chin Med, vol. 44, no. 5, pp. 895-906, 2016.

Du S, Dong J, Zhang H, Jin S, Xu G, Liu Z, et al, “Taichi exercise for self-rated sleep quality in older people: A systematic review and meta-analysisâ€, Int J Nurs Stud, vol. 52 no. 1, pp. 368-79, 2015.

Wu Y, MacDonald HV, Pescatello LS, “Evaluating Exercise Prescription and Instructional Methods Used in Tai Chi Studies Aimed at Improving Balance in Older Adults: A Systematic Reviewâ€, J Am Geriatr Soc, vol. 64, no. 10, pp. 2074-2080, 2016.

Wolf SL, Coogler C, Xu T, “Exploring the basis for Tai Chi Chuan as a therapeutic exercise approachâ€, Arch Phys Med Rehabil, vol. 78 no. 8, pp. 886-892, 1997.

Wolf SL, Sattin RW, Kutner M, O'Grady M, Greenspan AI, Gregor RJ, “Intense Tai Chi Exercise Training and Fall Occurrences in Older, Transitionally Frail Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trialâ€, J Am Geriatr Soc, vol. 51, no. 12, pp. 1693-1701, 2003.

Yu DH, Yang HX, “The effect of Tai Chi intervention on balance in older malesâ€, Journal of sport and Health science, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 57-60, 2012.

Ni M, Mooney K, Richards L, Balachandran A, Sun M, Harriell K, et al., “Comparative impacts of Tai Chi, balance training, and a specially-designed yoga program on balance in older fallersâ€, Arch Phys Med Rehabil, vol. 95, no. 9, pp. 1620-1628.e30, 2014.

Lelard T, Ahmaidi S, “Effects of physical training on age-related balance and postural controlâ€, Neurophysiol Clin, vol. 45, no. 4-5, pp. 357-369, 2015.

Logghe I, Zeeuwe P, Verhagen A, Wijnen-Sponselee R, Rademaker A, Willemsen S, et al., Tai Chi Chuan does not reduce the risk of falls in older people. Huisarts en Wetenschap, vol. 52, no. 11, pp. 536-541, 2009.

Logghe IHJ, Verhagen AP, Rademaker ACHJ, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, Rossum E van, Faber MJ, et al., “The effects of Tai Chi on fall prevention, fear of falling and balance in older people: A meta-analysisâ€, Prev Med, vol. 51, no. 3-4, pp. 222-227, 2010.

Logghe IHJ, Zeeuwe PEM, Verhagen AP, Wijnen-Sponselee RMT, Willemsen SP, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, et al., “Lack of effect of tai chi chuan in preventing falls in elderly people living at home: A randomized clinical trialâ€, J Am Geriatr Soc, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 70-75, 2009.

Clarkson HM, Musculoskeletal assessment: joint motion and muscle testing, Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health, USA, 2013.

Jones CJ, Rikli RE, “Measuring functionalâ€, The Journal on active aging, vol. 1, no. 24-30, 2002.

Loretta MW, Anatomy of Fitness: Tai Chi, Hinkler Books Pty Ltd., Australia, 2013.

Kevin A, Katie R, Philippa L, P, Adam LG, Rowan HH, Tahir M. T. Chair-based exercises for frail older people: a systematic review. Biomed Res Int, vol. 2013, article ID 309506, 2013.

Punpisa S, Mantana V, Vimonwan H, Jaranit K, “Development of a Geriatric Fear of Falling Questionnaire for Assessing the Fear of Falling of Thai Eldersâ€, Journal of Physical Therapy Science, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 359-364, 2012.

Katharina von G, Kristin K, Berid R B, Ulrike K, Sabine W, Thomas E, et al., “Reliability of a test measuring transversus abdominis muscle recruitment with a pressure biofeedback unitâ€, Physiotherapy, vol. 95, no. 1, pp. 8-14, 2009.

Jia X, Jiang C, Tao J, Li Y, Zhou Y, Chen LD, “Effects of core strength training combined with Tai Chi Chuan for the musculoskeletal system and cardiopulmonary function in older adults: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trialâ€, Medicine, vol. 97, no. 35, e12024, 2018.

Huang CW, Chen WH, Chu HH, Jiang BC, Abbod M, Shieh JS, “Simple tai chi exercise for improving elderly postural stability via complexity index analysisâ€, Artificial Life and Robotics, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 42-48, 2015.

Yildirim P, Ofluoglu D, Aydogan S, Akyuz G, “Tai Chi vs. combined exercise prescription: A comparison of their effects on factors related to fallsâ€, J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 493-501, 2016.

Son NK, Ryu YU, Jeong HW, Jang YH, Kim HD, “Comparison of 2 Different Exercise Approaches: Tai Chi versus Otago, in Community-Dwelling Older Womenâ€, J Geriatr Phys Ther, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 51-57, 2016.

Alsubiheen A, Petrofsky J, Daher N, Lohman E, Balbas E, “Effect of Tai Chi exercise combined with mental imagery theory in improving balance in a diabetic and elderly populationâ€, Med Sci Monit, vol. 21, pp. 3054-3061, 2015.

Li L, Manor B, “Long term Tai Chi exercise improves physical performance among people with peripheral neuropathy. The American journal of Chinese medicineâ€, vol. 38, no. 03, pp. 449-459, 2010.

Guo LY, Yang CP, You YL, Chen SK, Yang CH, Hou YY, et al., “Underlying mechanisms of Tai-Chi-Chuan training for improving balance ability in the eldersâ€, Chin J Integr Med, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 409-415, 2014.

Hägglund L, Boman K, Brännström M, “A mixed methods study of Tai Chi exercise for patients with chronic heart failure aged 70 years and olderâ€, Nursing Open, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 176-185, 2018.

Au-Yeung SSY, Hui-Chan CWY, Tang JCS, “Short-form Tai Chi Improves Standing Balance of People with Chronic Strokeâ€, Neurorehabil Neural Repair, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 515-522, 2009.

Tsang WW, Hui-Chan CW, “Effect of 4- and 8-wk intensive Tai Chi Training on balance control in the elderlyâ€, Med Sci Sports Exerc, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 648-657, 2004.

Pinto RS, Correa CS, Radaelli R, Cadore EL, Brown LE, Bottaro M, “Short-term strength training improves muscle quality and functional capacity of elderly womenâ€, Age, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 365-372, 2014.

Timmons JF, Minnock D, Hone M, Cogan KE, Murphy JC, Egan B, “Comparison of time-matched aerobic, resistance, or concurrent exercise training in older adultsâ€, Scand J Med Sci Sports, vol. 28, no. 11, pp. 2272-2283, 2018.

Zhang JG, Ishikawa-Takata K, Yamazaki H, Morita T, Ohta T, “The effects of Tai Chi Chuan on physiological function and fear of falling in the less robust elderly: An intervention study for preventing fallsâ€, Arch Gerontol Geriatr, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 107-116, 2006.

Liu YWJ, Tsui CM, “A randomized trial comparing Tai Chi with and without cognitive-behavioral intervention (CBI) to reduce fear of falling in community-dwelling elderly peopleâ€, Arch Gerontol Geriatr, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 317-325, 2013.

Liu H, A Frank, “Tai chi as a balance improvement exercise for older adults: A systematic reviewâ€, J Geriatr Phys Ther, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 103-109, 2010.

Wayne PM, Gagnon MM, Macklin EA, Travison TG, Manor B, Lachman M, et al., “The Mind Body-Wellness in Supportive Housing (Mi-WiSH) study: Design and rationale of a cluster randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi in senior housingâ€, Contemp Clin Trials, vol. 60, no. 96-104, 2017.

Downloads

Published

2019-06-17

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Benefits of an 8-form Tai Chi Training Exercise on Balance Performance, Falling Risk, and Muscle Strengths in Elderly with Limited Strength: A Feasibility Study. (2019). Asian Journal of Applied Sciences, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.24203/ajas.v7i3.5869

Similar Articles

11-20 of 177

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.