As we age exercise becomes an important way to stay healthy and fit. In the West we exercise by jogging, weigth-lifting, aerobics, and other methods. In the East one of the exercise methods is Tai Chi, a slow meditation-like type of exercise.
Chinese researchers wanted to evaluate the effect of Tai Chi on the health of older people. This study consisted of 38 individuals with an age range between 58 and 70 years. There were 9 men and 11 women who practiced Tai Chi for 12 months for about 4.5 times per week. Each session included 20 minutes of warm up, 24 minutes of Tai Chi, and 10 minutes of cool down. The control group consisted of 9 men and 9 women.
The results showed that the men in the Tai Chi group had a 16.1% increase in breathing capacity, an 11 degrees increase in low back flexibility, and an 18% increase in muscle strength of the legs.
The women in the Tai Chi group had a 21.3% increase in breathing capacity, and 8.8 degrees in crease in low back flexibility, and a 20.3% increase in muscle strength of the legs.
There were no changes found in the control group.
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12-month Tai Chi training in the elderly: its effect on health fitness. Lan C, Lai JS, Chen SY, Wong MK. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998 Mar;30(3):345-351
