Taylor-Piliae Ruth E, Haskell William L, Stotts Nancy A, Froelicher Erika Sivarajan
Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Calif, USA.
Altern Ther Health Med. 2006 Mar-Apr;12(2):50-8.
Declines in physical performance are associated with aging and chronic health conditions. Appropriate physical activity interventions can reverse functional limitations and help maintain independent living. Tai chi is a popular form of exercise in China among older adults.
To determine whether tai chi improves balance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility over time.
Repeated measures intervention; data collected at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks.
Community center in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Thirty-nine Chinese adults with at least 1 cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor.
A 60-minute tai chi exercise class 3 times per week for 12 weeks.
A battery of physical fitness measures specifically developed for older adults assessed balance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.
Subjects were 65.7 (+/- 8.3) years old, Cantonese-speaking (97%) immigrants, with 12 years or less of formal education (87%) and very low income (67%). Reported CVD risk factors were hypertension (92%), hypercholesteremia (49%), diabetes (21%), and 1 current smoker. Subjects were below the 50th percentile of fitness at baseline compared to age- and gender-specific normative US data. Statistically significant improvements were observed in all balance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility measures after 6 weeks, and they increased further after 12 weeks.
Tai chi is a potent intervention that improved balance, upper- and lower-body muscular strength and endurance, and upper- and lower-body flexibility in these older Chinese adults. These findings provide important information for future community-based tai chi exercise programs and support current public health initiatives to reduce disability from chronic health conditions and enhance physical function in older adults.
身体机能下降与衰老及慢性健康状况相关。适当的体育活动干预可逆转功能限制并有助于维持独立生活。太极拳在中国老年人中是一种受欢迎的运动形式。
确定太极拳是否能随着时间推移改善平衡能力、肌肉力量和耐力以及柔韧性。
重复测量干预；在基线、6周和12周时收集数据。
旧金山湾区的社区中心。
39名患有至少一种心血管疾病（CVD）风险因素的中国成年人。
每周进行3次、每次60分钟的太极拳练习课程，共12周。
专门为老年人开发的一系列体能测量指标，用于评估平衡能力、肌肉力量和耐力以及柔韧性。
受试者年龄为65.7（±8.3）岁，讲粤语（97%）的移民，接受正规教育12年或以下（87%）且收入极低（67%）。报告的CVD风险因素包括高血压（92%）、高胆固醇血症（49%）、糖尿病（21%）以及1名当前吸烟者。与美国特定年龄和性别的标准数据相比，受试者在基线时的体能低于第50百分位数。6周后，所有平衡能力、肌肉力量和耐力以及柔韧性测量指标均有统计学意义的显著改善，12周后进一步提高。
太极拳是一种有效的干预措施，可改善这些中国老年成年人的平衡能力、上下肢肌肉力量和耐力以及上下肢柔韧性。这些发现为未来基于社区的太极拳锻炼项目提供了重要信息，并支持当前旨在减少慢性健康状况导致的残疾并增强老年人身体功能的公共卫生倡议。
